Attention and memory functioning among pediatric patients with medulloblastoma

Objective To test the hypotheses that memory and attention deficits are prevalent in survivors of childhood medulloblastoma (MB) and that these deficits are associated with problems with academic achievement. Methods The medical charts of 38 child survivors of MB, who were administered the California Verbal Learning Test, Child Version (CVLT-C), Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) as part of a comprehensive neurocognitive test battery, were retrospectively reviewed. Results Although no significant verbal memory deficits were found, 8 of 11 CPT variables were significantly below the standardization mean (p <= .01). Additionally, stepwise regression analyses found that increased omission errors were significantly associated with lower reading and math performance (p <= .01). Conclusions These findings confirm previous reports of attention deficits among survivors of MB and provide a better understanding of how the dysfunction of particular attentional substrates (e.g., perceptual sensitivity, response bias) may result in learning problems in this population.