Neuropsychological late effects of radiotherapy for pediatric brain tumors

Abstract

Advances in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors have led to an overall increase in survival rates, which in turn has led to increased identification of physical, cognitive, academic/vocational, and socioemotional sequelae among survivors. Research to date has shown radiotherapy to account for a significant amount of variance in neurocognitive outcomes. However, other predisposing factors have also been identified, and research into the relative role of the direct and indirect effects of medical, child-specific, and broader contextual/environmental factors on outcomes in this population is needed. This chapter describes our current knowledge of neuropsychological and associated functional outcomes among survivors of pediatric brain tumor as well as the current literature on associated predisposing factors, pathophysiology, and evidence-based interventions for remediation and prevention. Methodological issues are also discussed in order to provide context for understanding limitations of current findings and to identify important future directions.