The Pediatric Physiatric Posterior Fossa Symptoms scale: Impairments and outcome in pediatric inpatient rehabilitation for posterior fossa brain tumors

• Published in: Neuro-oncology (Charlottesville, Va.) Va.), 2025-02, Vol.27 (2), p.508-516
• Main Authors: Wu, Jennifer, Wishart, Brian D, Cohen, Stephanie E, Orme, Patricia, Quinn, Susan S, Nimec, Donna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Infratentorial Neoplasms - complications; Infratentorial Neoplasms - rehabilitation; Infratentorial Neoplasms - surgery; Inpatients; Male; Postoperative Complications; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1522-8517; 1523-5866; 1523-5866
• DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noae199

Clinical recognition of the postoperative neurologic sequelae of posterior fossa tumors is inconsistent. This study aimed to characterize functional impairments and recovery trajectories in pediatric patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following surgical resection of posterior fossa brain tumors. This study also introduces the Pediatric Physiatric Posterior Fossa Symptom scale (3PFSs) for serial assessment of postoperative symptoms in pediatric posterior fossa brain tumors. This retrospective cohort study included 49 patients aged 1.1 to 19.9 years admitted to a pediatric unit of a free-standing rehabilitation hospital following resection of a posterior fossa brain tumor. Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) and 3PFSs scores at admission and discharge were the primary outcome measures. Across the group, WeeFIM score improved from 51.5 ± 23.5 points at admission to 74.2 ± 28.2 points at discharge (t = 4.34, P