Article Sidebar
Views PDF: 96
Anatomo-functional study of the cerebellum in working memory in children treated for medulloblastoma
Main Article Content
Abstract
SUMMARY
Introduction and Purpose: Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant cerebral tumor during childhood, arising in the posterior fossa. Children treated for medulloblastoma often experience working memory (WM) deficits, affecting their quality of life and school performance. The aim of the present study undertaken to describe the cerebellar involvement in WM deficits observed in these children.
Method: Healthy children and children treated for medulloblastoma were included into study. All subjects performed a detailed neuropsychological examination, an anatomical and functional MRI. Stimuli were presented to the participants with alternating
sensory modality and nature of communication in a block design during functional magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions. A Mann-
Whitney U test was used for analyzing neuropsychological and behavioral data. The SPM8 and the SUIT (Spatially Unbiased Atlas Template) were utilized for anatomical and functional MRI data.
Results: The patients had cerebellar lesions locating principally in the left posterior lobe. These patients were significantly reduced
intelligence quotient, central executive and visuospatial WM. In healthy children group, fMRI showed robust activations for nonverbal
or visuospatial WM in the left posterior cerebellar lobe.
Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that the cerebellum plays a role in WM. Lesions of the left posterior cerebellar
lobe may lead to nonverbal WM impairment in children. These finding contribute to treatment planning and to rehabilitation for improving
the quality of life of children treated for cerebellar medulloblastoma.
Article Details
Keywords
Medulloblastoma, cerebellum function
References
1. Hoang, D. H. et al. Cognitive disorders in pediatric medulloblastoma: what neuroimaging has to offer. J. Neurosurg. Pediatr. 1–9 (2014).
2. Marvel, C. L. & Desmond, J. E. Functional topography of the cerebellum in verbal working memory. Neuropsychol. Rev. 20, 271–279 (2010).
3. Schmahmann, J. D. & Sherman, J. C. The cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. Brain J. Neurol. 121 (Pt 4), 561–579 (1998).
4. Knight, S. J. et al. Working Memory Abilities Among Children Treated for Medulloblastoma: Parent Report and
Child Performance. J. Pediatr. Psychol. (2014).
5. Thürling, M. et al. Involvement of the cerebellar cortex and nuclei in verbal and visuospatial working memory: a 7 T fMRI study. NeuroImage 62, 1537–1550 (2012).
6. Stoodley, C. J. The cerebellum and cognition: evidence from functional imaging studies. Cerebellum Lond. Engl. 11, 352–365 (2012).
7. Wechsler, D. Echelle d’intelligence de Wechsler pour enfants et adolescents. (ECPA - Editions du Centre de Psychologie Appliquée, 2005).
8. Diedrichsen, J., Balsters, J. H., Flavell, J., Cussans, E. & Ramnani, N. A probabilistic MR atlas of the human cerebellum. NeuroImage 46, 39–46 (2009).
9. Hokkanen, L. S. K., Kauranen, V., Roine, R. O., Salonen, O. & Kotila, M. Subtle cognitive deficits after cerebellar infarcts. Eur. J. Neurol. Off. J. Eur. Fed. Neurol. Soc. 13, 161–170 (2006).
10. Gottwald, B., Wilde, B., Mihajlovic, Z. & Mehdorn, H. M. Evidence for distinct cognitive deficits after focal cerebellar lesions. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 75, 1524–1531 (2004).
11. Scott, R. B. et al. Lateralized cognitive deficits in children following cerebellar lesions. Dev. Med. Child Neurol. 43, 685–691 (2001).
12. Wallesch, C. W. & Horn, A. Long-term effects of cerebellar pathology on cognitive functions. Brain Cogn. 14, 19–25 (1990).
13. Riva, D. & Giorgi, C. The cerebellum contributes to higher functions during development: evidence from a series of children surgically treated for posterior fossa tumours. Brain J. Neurol. 123 ( Pt 5), 1051–1061 (2000).
14. Botez-Marquard, T., Bard, C., Léveillé, J. & Botez, M. I. A severe frontal-parietal lobe syndrome following cerebellar damage. Eur. J. Neurol. Off. J. Eur. Fed. Neurol. Soc. 8, 347–353 (2001).
15. Richards, T. L. et al. Converging evidence for triple word form theory in children with dyslexia. Dev. Neuropsychol. 30, 547–589 (2006).
16. Stoodley, C. J. & Schmahmann, J. D. Functional topography in the human cerebellum: a meta-analysis of
neuroimaging studies. NeuroImage 44, 489–501 (2009).
17. Stoodley, C. J., Valera, E. M. & Schmahmann, J. D. An fMRI study of intra-individual functional topography in the human cerebellum. Behav. Neurol. 23, 65–79 (2010).
18. E, K.-H., Chen, S.-H. A., Ho, M.-H. R. & Desmond, J. E. A meta-analysis of cerebellar contributions to higher cognition from PET and fMRI studies. Hum. Brain Mapp. 35, 593–615 (2014).
19. Lv, Z. et al. Alteration of functional connectivity within visuospatial working memory-related brain network
in patients with right temporal lobe epilepsy: a restingstate
fMRI study. Epilepsy Behav. EB 35, 64–71 (2014).
20. Salmi, J. et al. Cognitive and motor loops of the human cerebro-cerebellar system. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 22, 2663–2676 (2010).
21. Soelva, V. et al. Fronto-cerebellar fiber tractography in pediatric patients following posterior fossa tumor surgery. Childs Nerv. Syst. ChNS Off. J. Int. Soc. Pediatr. Neurosurg. 29, 597–607 (2013).
22. Law, N. et al. Cerebello-thalamo-cerebral connections in pediatric brain tumor patients: impact on working memory. NeuroImage 56, 2238–2248 (2011).