Understanding neurocognitive outcomes in Pediatric Brain Tumour Survivors in context: Examining medical and sociodemographic risk factors

Background . Pediatric Brain Tumour Survivors (PBTS) are at risk of neurocognitive impairments. This study assesses both objective and parent-reported cognitive functioning in PBTS and examines how various factors (medical and socio-demographic) may contribute to cognitive outcomes. PBTS ( n = 100) were on average 5.77 years old at diagnosis, 12.36 years from diagnosis, and 47% female. Method . Participant IQ was measured using the full-scale IQ of the WISC-IV and WISC-V, and executive function using the BRIEF2 Global Executive Composite. Examined contributors included: age, sex, tumour location, time since diagnosis, radiation type, chemotherapy dose (high versus low), parent’s education level and mother’s partnered status. Results . Higher IQ was correlated with higher executive function skills. Differential patterns were observed with socio-demographic variables influencing working memory, while radiation influenced processing speed. Higher education level in both mothers and fathers and maternal partnered status were associated with higher child working memory. Proton radiation was associated with higher processing speed scores. However, only time since diagnosis contributed to total IQ and working memory in multiple linear regression analyses. Conclusion . The findings shed light on the sparsely examined domain of the impact of socio-demographic variables on neurocognitive outcomes in PBTS. Time since diagnosis remains a significant predictor of cognitive performance, accentuating the need for early identification and intervention in PBTS.