TY - JOUR
T1 - White Matter Fractional Anisotropy Correlates With Speed of Processing and Motor Speed in Young Childhood Cancer Survivors
AU - Aukema, Eline J.
AU - Caan, Matthan W.A.
AU - Oudhuis, Nienke
AU - Majoie, Charles B.L.M.
AU - Vos, Frans M.
AU - Reneman, Liesbeth
AU - Last, Bob F.
AU - Grootenhuis, Martha A.
AU - Schouten-van Meeteren, Antoinette Y.N.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank H. Maurice-Stam and J.B. Reitsma for their advice and statistical expertise, and B. Kok for creating a child-friendly atmosphere during the MRI sessions. This work was supported by The Gratama Foundation and Research School of Neurosciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
PY - 2009/7/1
Y1 - 2009/7/1
N2 - Purpose: To determine whether childhood medulloblastoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors have decreased white matter fractional anisotropy (WMFA) and whether WMFA is related to the speed of processing and motor speed. Methods and Materials: For this study, 17 patients (6 medulloblastoma, 5 ALL treated with high-dose methotrexate (MTX) (4 × 5 g/m2) and 6 with low-dose MTX (3 × 2 g/m2)) and 17 age-matched controls participated. On a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed, and WMFA values were calculated, including specific regions of interest (ROIs), and correlated with the speed of processing and motor speed. Results: Mean WMFA in the patient group, mean age 14 years (range 8.9 - 16.9), was decreased compared with the control group (p = 0.01), as well as WMFA in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciliculus (IFO) (p = 0.03) and in the genu of the corpus callosum (gCC) (p = 0.01). Based on neurocognitive results, significant positive correlations were present between processing speed and WMFA in the splenium (sCC) (r = 0.53, p = 0.03) and the body of the corpus callosum (bCC) (r = 0.52, p = 0.03), whereas the right IFO WMFA was related to motor speed (r = 0.49, p < 0.05). Conclusions: White matter tracts, using a 3.0-T MRI scanner, show impairment in childhood cancer survivors, medulloblastoma survivors, and also those treated with high doses of MTX. In particular, white matter tracts in the sCC, bCC and right IFO are positively correlated with speed of processing and motor speed.
AB - Purpose: To determine whether childhood medulloblastoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors have decreased white matter fractional anisotropy (WMFA) and whether WMFA is related to the speed of processing and motor speed. Methods and Materials: For this study, 17 patients (6 medulloblastoma, 5 ALL treated with high-dose methotrexate (MTX) (4 × 5 g/m2) and 6 with low-dose MTX (3 × 2 g/m2)) and 17 age-matched controls participated. On a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed, and WMFA values were calculated, including specific regions of interest (ROIs), and correlated with the speed of processing and motor speed. Results: Mean WMFA in the patient group, mean age 14 years (range 8.9 - 16.9), was decreased compared with the control group (p = 0.01), as well as WMFA in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciliculus (IFO) (p = 0.03) and in the genu of the corpus callosum (gCC) (p = 0.01). Based on neurocognitive results, significant positive correlations were present between processing speed and WMFA in the splenium (sCC) (r = 0.53, p = 0.03) and the body of the corpus callosum (bCC) (r = 0.52, p = 0.03), whereas the right IFO WMFA was related to motor speed (r = 0.49, p < 0.05). Conclusions: White matter tracts, using a 3.0-T MRI scanner, show impairment in childhood cancer survivors, medulloblastoma survivors, and also those treated with high doses of MTX. In particular, white matter tracts in the sCC, bCC and right IFO are positively correlated with speed of processing and motor speed.
KW - Cancer
KW - Children
KW - DTI
KW - MTX
KW - Neuropsychology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67349281455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.08.060
DO - 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.08.060
M3 - Article
C2 - 19117694
AN - SCOPUS:67349281455
SN - 0360-3016
VL - 74
SP - 837
EP - 843
JO - International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics
JF - International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics
IS - 3
ER -