Intact language skills and semantic processing speed following the use of fractionated cranial irradiation therapy for the treatment of childhood medulloblastoma: A 4-year follow-up study

Abstract

Recent advances in the delivery of cranial radiation therapy aim to reduce the adverse neurocognitive outcomes associated with successful treatments. Damage to white matter tracts following cranial radiation may result in a reduction in information processing speed, which in turn may lead to declines in academic achievement and performance scores on neurocognitive testing. This study reports on language outcomes and neurophysiological measures reflecting the efficiency of the brain's capacity to process semantic information in a 14-year-old female following treatment, which included fractionated cranial radiation dosages, for medulloblastoma at age 10 years 3 months. The findings suggest processing skills on par with her peers and stability in general language skill over the 4 years post-treatment.

Keywords:

• Language outcomes
• ERP
• Semantic processing
• Fractionated cranial irradiation
• Medulloblastoma

Notes