Cortical Morphometry and Its Relationship with Cognitive Functions in Children after non-CNS Cancer

ABSTRACT

Background: Childhood cancer survivors (Ccs) are at risk for cognitive late-effects, which might result from cortical alterations, even if cancer does not affect the brain. The study aimed to examine gray and white matter volume and its relationship to cognition. Methods: Forty-three Ccs of non-central nervous system cancers and 43 healthy controls, aged 7–16 years, were examined. Cognitive functions and fine motor coordination were assessed and T1-weighted images were collected for voxel-based morphometry. Results: Executive functions (p = .024, d = .31) were poorer in Ccs than controls, however still within the normal range. The volume of the amygdala (p = .011, ŋ² = .117) and the striatum (p = .03, ŋ² = .102) was reduced in Ccs. No significant structure–function correlations were found, neither in patients nor controls. Conclusion: Non-CNS childhood cancer and its treatment impacts on brain structures relevant to emotion processing.

KEYWORDS:

• Childhood cancer survivors
• voxel-based morphometry
• gray and white matter volume
• cognitive late-effects
• non-central nervous system cancers

Abbreviations

CNS: central nervous system; HPA: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical; IQ: intelligence quotient; MNI: Montreal Neurological Institute; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; VBM: voxel-based morphometry; Ccs: childhood cancer survivors.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all children and adolescents as well as their parents for their participation. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Fondation Gaydoul (Churerstrasse 47, 8808 Pfäffikon SZ), the Swiss Cancer Research foundation (KFS-3705-08-2015 and 4708-02-2019), the Dietmar Hopp Stiftung GmbH (Walldorf, Germany), the Krebsstiftung Thun-Berner Oberland (Thun, Switzerland), the Berner Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder and the Hans & Annelies Swierstra Stiftung (Meggen, Switzerland) for their support in funding. Additionally, we would like to thank the team of the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry for their help. Special thanks go to all master students and study assistants for their support in performing assessments and to Stephanie Abgottspon for her help in editing the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

None.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fondation Gaydoul (Pfäffikon SZ), the Swiss Cancer Research Foundation (KFS-3705-08-2015 and KFS-4708-02-2019), the Dietmar Hopp Stiftung GmbH (Walldorf, Germany), the Krebsstiftung Thun-Berner Oberland (Thun, Switzerland), the Berner Stiftung für krebskranke Kinder, and the Hans & Annelies Swierstra Stiftung (Meggen, Switzerland). The funding body had no role in the design of the study, collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or in writing the manuscript; Dietmar Hopp Stiftung; Fondation Gaydoul; Swiss Cancer Research Foundation; Hans und Annelies Swierstra Stiftung;Krebsstiftung Thun-Berner Oberland