Visual short‐term memory activation patterns in adult survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

• Published in: Cancer 2019-10, Vol.125 (20), p.3639-3648
• Main Authors: Boulet‐Craig, Aubree, Robaey, Philippe, Barlaam, Fanny, Laniel, Julie, Oswald, Victor, Jerbi, Karim, Sultan, Serge, Affret‐Bertout, Laurence, Drouin, Simon, Krajinovic, Maja, Laverdière, Caroline, Sinnett, Daniel, Jolicoeur, Pierre, Lippé, Sarah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Activation; Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Adult; Brain; Cancer; Cancer Survivors; Child; Childhood; Children; Cognition; Cognitive ability; cognitive function; Female; Frontal gyrus; Frontal Lobe - diagnostic imaging; Frontal Lobe - physiopathology; Humans; Leukemia; Localization; Localization method; Lymphatic leukemia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetoencephalography; Male; Memory; Memory, Short-Term; Neuropsychological Tests; Ocular Physiological Phenomena; Oncology; Postcentral gyrus; Precentral gyrus; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - complications; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - diagnostic imaging; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - physiopathology; short‐term memory; Survival; survivors of childhood cancer; Temporal gyrus; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32374

Background Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Treatments against ALL might lead to later cognitive effects and alterations in brain structure in survivors but to the authors' knowledge the observed variability in the severity of neurocognitive deficits is not fully understood. The objective of the current study was to investigate abnormalities in visual short‐term memory (VSTM) brain activation in survivors of childhood ALL using magnetoencephalography. Methods A VSTM task was completed by 40 survivors of ALL and 26 controls. VSTM capacity (Cowan K) and brain activation were assessed during the retention period of the task (400‐1400 milliseconds) using a standard minimum norm source localization method. Results Performance (Cowan K) was found to be similar between survivors of ALL and controls. Atypical brain activation was found in survivors of ALL during the task, including overactivation of regions usually involved in VSTM (lateral occipital, precentral gyrus, and postcentral gyrus), recruitment of regions that typically are not involved in VSTM (superior/middle temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus), and lower activation of frontal brain regions (inferior frontal gyrus). These patterns of activation were modulated by the age at the time of cancer onset (P = .01) because activity was found to be reduced in participants who were younger at diagnosis. Conclusions The results of the current study suggest a pattern of neural inefficiency and compensatory activity during VSTM in survivors of ALL. The results of the current study demonstrate normal visual short‐term memory capacity but broader and stronger brain activation in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The brain activation among survivors appears to be modulated by age at the time of cancer onset.