Vicki Anderson|Tim Godber|Elizabeth Smibert|Sophie Weiskop|Henry Ekert
Cognitive and academic outcome following cranial irradiation and chemotherapy in children: a longitudinal study
University of Melbourne|Royal Children's Hospital|Royal Children's Hospital|University of Melbourne|Royal Children's Hospital
cranial irradiation therapy crt chemotherapy associated neurobehavioural deficits many studies investigated late effects treatments evaluated changes abilities time study employed longitudinal design map abilities following treatments three groups children studied group 1 n 35 children treated crt 18 gy chemotherapy aged 5 years less time diagnosis group 2 n 19 children treated chemotherapy alone aged 5 years less time diagnosis group 3 n 35 healthy children children aged 713 years time initial assessment prediagnosis history neurologic developmental psychiatric disorder intellectual educational abilities evaluated twice t1 less 2 years posttreatment t2 3 years later group 1 achieved poorest results t1 comparison groups performing similarly t2 group differences maintained verbal skills differences remained stable group 1 exhibited deterioration nonverbal processing tasks comparison groups showed improved abilities group 1 exhibited increases literacy skills educational intervention predicting progress results suggest cumulative deficits nonverbal information processing skills children treated crt chemotherapy deficits remaining relatively stable time improved literacy skills suggest gains occur remediation