title: Functional neuroimaging of working memory in survivors of childhood brain tumors and healthy children: Associations with coping and psychosocial outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric brain tumors are the second most common cancer diagnosis in individuals under age 20 and research has documented significant neurocognitive, psychosocial, and emotional late effects. Associations among these deficits have not been adequately considered and the role of survivors' coping with stress in relation to deficits is unknown. Further, research has yet to examine neurobiological processes related to neurocognitive, psychosocial, and emotional difficulties in survivors through the use of functional neuroimaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire measures and functional neuroimaging were used to examine the neurocognitive, psychosocial, and emotional functioning and coping responses of survivors of pediatric brain tumors (N = 17; age 8-16) and healthy children (N = 15).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survivors experienced elevated levels of psychosocial and behavioral/emotional difficulties relative to healthy controls and normative data. Increases in brain activation in prefrontal and other anterior regions in response to a working memory task were associated with better psychosocial functioning, use of engagement coping strategies, and less use of disengagement coping strategies. Regression analyses suggest coping accounts for a significant portion of the association between brain activation and behavioral/emotional functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study extends late-effects research by examining neurobiological processes associated with psychosocial and emotional difficulties. These findings contribute to our understanding of difficulties in survivors and provide a foundation for research exploring these associations and mediators of deficits in future longitudinal studies.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|b Department of Psychology , Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus , Ohio , USA.
authors.forename: Kristen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neurological Surgery , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.affiliation: d Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cannistraci
authors.affiliation: d Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Adam W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: e Pediatric Hematology and Oncology , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico , USA.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kuttesch
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wymer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Samantha E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: f Department of Psychological Sciences , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Sohee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology and Human Development , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Compas
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Coping; Late effects; Neoplasm; Psychosocial; Working memory