Neurological predictor scale is associated with academic achievement outcomes in long-term survivors of childhood brain tumors

Abstract

Introduction: Survivors of childhood brain tumors exhibit impairments in academic performance and have lower rates of educational attainment compared to healthy same-aged peers. Prior research has demonstrated the concurrent validity of the Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS), a measure that incorporates tumor-related treatments and complications into one cumulative score, in predicting IQ, adaptive functioning, and core neurocognitive skills. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the NPS predicts academic achievement outcomes over and above the effects of individual treatment factors alone. Methods: Sixty-two adult survivors completed four untimed measures of academic achievement from the Woodcock–Johnson III. Results: NPS scores significantly predicted performance on all four academic measures: Letter Word ID (R 2 = − 0.454, p