NCOG-04. COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS BEFORE RADIOTHERAPY IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH BRAIN TUMORS

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE To assess the cognitive functions before radiotherapy in pediatric patients with brain tumors and explore the related influence factors. METHODS Before radiotherapy for brain tumors, adaptive behavior scale (adaptive quotient) and Wechsler intelligence scale for children were used to evaluate the cognitive functions in pediatric patients. Herein the assessment items of verbal IQ, performance IQ, total score and the corresponding percentile. The cognitive functions of pediatric patients with different pathological diagnoses, lesion locations, with or without epilepsy, hydrocephalus or hypopituitarism were compared. RESULTS A total of 128 pediatric patients were enrolled in this study. The mean verbal IQ score was 83.7±20.8 (range, 36–128), and the corresponding percentile mean value was 27.699±30.3. The mean performance IQ score was 82.83±20.5 (range, 30–126), and the corresponding percentile mean value was 26.6±29.1. The total score of Wechsler intelligence scale was 0–128, with a mean value of 81.4±21.7, and the corresponding percentile was 0–97, with a mean value of 25.5±28.5. Moreover, the adaptive quotient for all enrolled patients was 32–164, with a mean value of 95.1±29.4. The results of multivariate analysis on the clinical factors related to cognitive functions revealed that the mean performance IQ, the corresponding percentile and the mean of the total score of Wechsler intelligence scale in patients with lesions involving basal ganglia region were 76±16, 15.1±19.6 and 75.29±15, respectively, which were lower than 84±20.7, 28±19.1 and 82.4±22 in those with lesion without involving basal ganglia region, with statistical differences (P= 0.031, 0.018, 0.046). CONCLUSION The cognitive functions before radiotherapy in pediatric patients with brain tumors are proved to be inferior to those in normal children. The performance IQ and total score of pediatric patients with brain tumors involving basal ganglia region were lower than those of the other patients for the lesions have affected the limb movement.