title: White matter and information processing speed following treatment with cranial-spinal radiation for pediatric brain tumor.
abstract: We compared the structure of specific white matter tracts and information processing speed between children treated for posterior fossa tumors with cranial-spinal radiation (n = 30), or with surgery +/- focal radiation (n = 29), and healthy children (n = 37).
  
  
  
  Probabilistic diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography was used to delineate the inferior longitudinal fasciculi, optic radiation, inferior frontal occipital fasciculi, and uncinate fasciculi bilaterally. Information processing speed was measured using the coding and symbol search subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, and visual matching, pair cancellation, and rapid picture naming subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Ability, 3rd revision. We examined group differences using repeated measures MANOVAs and path analyses were used to test the relations between treatment, white matter structure of the tracts, and information processing speed.
  
  
  
  DTI indices of the optic radiations, the inferior longitudinal fasciculi, and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi differed between children treated with cranial-spinal radiation and children treated with surgery +/- focal radiation, and healthy controls (p = .045). Children treated with cranial-spinal radiation also exhibited lower processing speed scores relative to healthy control subjects (p = .002). Notably, we observed that group differences in information processing speed were related to the structure of the right optic radiation (p = .002).
  
  
  
  We show that cranial-spinal radiation may have a negative impact on information processing speed via insult to the right optic radiations. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scantlebury
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouffet
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laughlin
authors.affiliation: Departments of Oncology and Pediatrics, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strother
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, British Columbia Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia.
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hukin
authors.affiliation: Christopher Fryer, Oncology/Hematology Program, British Columbia Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fryer
authors.affiliation: Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital.
authors.forename: Normand
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laperriere
authors.affiliation: Division of Ambulatory Care/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Montour-Proulx
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keene
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Oncology, Montreal Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Oncology, Montreal Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jabado
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mabbott
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D061888:Craniospinal Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000528:radiation effects; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000528:radiation effects