title: Neurocognitive Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Korean Survivors of Medulloblastoma.
abstract: The neurocognitive function and quality of life of 58 Korean survivors of childhood medulloblastoma were assessed after surgery, cranial radiation and chemotherapy. All patients were evaluated with a battery of neurocognitive function tests and the Pediatric Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain Tumor Survivors, which consists of self-report questionnaires on quality of life. The mean full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ, and performance IQ scores were 90.2, 97.1, and 84.16, respectively. The mean memory quotient (MQ) score was 86.78, which was within 1 standard deviation of the average score of 100. Processing speed, attention, and executive function showed mild to moderate deficits. Intelligence, memory, executive function, visuospatial function, and simple motor function were significantly lower in the patients diagnosed before 8 years of age compared with those diagnosed after 8. The cognitive deficits in the patients diagnosed at younger ages might be related to earlier exposure to craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy. The patient and parent proxy evaluations of attention, fine motor function, and quality of life did not differ. We found significant neurocognitive changes in a wide range of neurocognitive functional domains in Korean survivors of childhood medulloblastoma. Long-term follow-up studies of survivors of childhood medulloblastoma beginning at the time of their first diagnosis are required to better understand the deficits exhibited by survivors of childhood medulloblastoma, so that intervention strategies and treatment refinements that reduce the long-term neurocognitive decline can be developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8802-0337
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyery
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2852-6832
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Pediatric Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea. hjpark@ncc.re.kr.
authors.forename: Hyeon Jin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9557-3412
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Severance Children's Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Seok
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8210-170X
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Shin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3718-6182
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Young
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2091-1947
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001288:Attention; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D056910:Republic of Korea; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognition; Korea; Medulloblastoma; Quality of Life; Survivors