Cerebello-thalamo-cerebral connections in pediatric brain tumor patients: impact on working memory. 2011

Nicole Law, and Eric Bouffet, and Suzanne Laughlin, and Normand Laperriere, and Marie-Eve Brière, and Douglas Strother, and Dina McConnell, and Juliette Hukin, and Christopher Fryer, and Conrad Rockel, and Jolynn Dickson, and Donald Mabbott
Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Brain tumors are the leading cause of death and disability from childhood disease in developed countries. Pediatric posterior fossa tumors are often effectively controlled with a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, depending on tumor type. White matter injury following resection of tumor and radiation treatment is associated with cognitive declines, including working memory deficits. We investigated how brain injury following treatment for posterior fossa tumors results in deficits in working memory. We used diffusion tensor imaging and probabilistic tractography to examine the structural integrity of cerebello-thalamo-cerebral tracts in patients and healthy children. We also compared working memory outcome in patients versus controls, and related this function to integrity of cerebello-thalamo-cerebral tracts. Bilateral cerebello-thalamo-cerebral tracts were delineated in all participants. Patients treated with a combination of surgery and radiation had lower mean anisotropy and higher mean radial diffusivity within the cerebellar regions of the cerebello-thalamo-cerebral tract compared to patients treated with surgery only and healthy controls. Poorer working memory scores were observed for the cranial radiation group relative to controls. Reduced anisotropy and higher radial diffusivity within the entire cerebello-thalamo-cerebral pathway predicted lower working memory. Our finding that working memory function is related to the integrity of cerebello-thalamo-cerebral connections is a novel contribution to the understanding of cerebral-cerebellar communication. Identifying differences in the structural integrity of white matter for specific pathways is an essential step in attempting to localize the effects of posterior fossa tumors and their treatment methods.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007090 Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted Methods developed to aid in the interpretation of ultrasound, radiographic images, etc., for diagnosis of disease. Image Interpretation, Computer Assisted,Computer-Assisted Image Interpretation,Computer-Assisted Image Interpretations,Image Interpretations, Computer-Assisted,Interpretation, Computer-Assisted Image,Interpretations, Computer-Assisted Image
D008297 Male Males
D008569 Memory Disorders Disturbances in registering an impression, in the retention of an acquired impression, or in the recall of an impression. Memory impairments are associated with DEMENTIA; CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA; ENCEPHALITIS; ALCOHOLISM (see also ALCOHOL AMNESTIC DISORDER); SCHIZOPHRENIA; and other conditions. Memory Loss,Age-Related Memory Disorders,Memory Deficits,Memory Disorder, Semantic,Memory Disorder, Spatial,Memory Disorders, Age-Related,Retention Disorders, Cognitive,Semantic Memory Disorder,Spatial Memory Disorder,Age Related Memory Disorders,Age-Related Memory Disorder,Cognitive Retention Disorder,Cognitive Retention Disorders,Deficit, Memory,Deficits, Memory,Memory Deficit,Memory Disorder,Memory Disorder, Age-Related,Memory Disorders, Age Related,Memory Disorders, Semantic,Memory Disorders, Spatial,Memory Losses,Retention Disorder, Cognitive,Semantic Memory Disorders,Spatial Memory Disorders
D008570 Memory, Short-Term Remembrance of information for a few seconds to hours. Immediate Recall,Memory, Immediate,Working Memory,Memory, Shortterm,Immediate Memories,Immediate Memory,Immediate Recalls,Memories, Immediate,Memories, Short-Term,Memories, Shortterm,Memory, Short Term,Recall, Immediate,Recalls, Immediate,Short-Term Memories,Short-Term Memory,Shortterm Memories,Shortterm Memory,Working Memories
D009434 Neural Pathways Neural tracts connecting one part of the nervous system with another. Neural Interconnections,Interconnection, Neural,Interconnections, Neural,Neural Interconnection,Neural Pathway,Pathway, Neural,Pathways, Neural
D011832 Radiation Injuries Harmful effects of non-experimental exposure to ionizing or non-ionizing radiation in VERTEBRATES. Radiation Sickness,Radiation Syndrome,Injuries, Radiation,Injury, Radiation,Radiation Injury,Radiation Sicknesses,Radiation Syndromes,Sickness, Radiation,Sicknesses, Radiation,Syndrome, Radiation,Syndromes, Radiation
D011878 Radiotherapy The use of IONIZING RADIATION to treat malignant NEOPLASMS and some benign conditions. Radiotherapy, Targeted,Targeted Radiotherapy,Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapy, Targeted,Radiation Treatment,Targeted Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapies,Radiation Therapies, Targeted,Radiation Treatments,Radiotherapies,Radiotherapies, Targeted,Targeted Radiation Therapies,Targeted Radiotherapies,Therapies, Radiation,Therapies, Targeted Radiation,Therapy, Radiation,Therapy, Targeted Radiation,Treatment, Radiation
D002531 Cerebellum The part of brain that lies behind the BRAIN STEM in the posterior base of skull (CRANIAL FOSSA, POSTERIOR). It is also known as the "little brain" with convolutions similar to those of CEREBRAL CORTEX, inner white matter, and deep cerebellar nuclei. Its function is to coordinate voluntary movements, maintain balance, and learn motor skills. Cerebella,Corpus Cerebelli,Parencephalon,Cerebellums,Parencephalons
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D003131 Combined Modality Therapy The treatment of a disease or condition by several different means simultaneously or sequentially. Chemoimmunotherapy, RADIOIMMUNOTHERAPY, chemoradiotherapy, cryochemotherapy, and SALVAGE THERAPY are seen most frequently, but their combinations with each other and surgery are also used. Multimodal Treatment,Therapy, Combined Modality,Combined Modality Therapies,Modality Therapies, Combined,Modality Therapy, Combined,Multimodal Treatments,Therapies, Combined Modality,Treatment, Multimodal,Treatments, Multimodal

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