Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Magda; ALMEIDA, Susana  and  SILVA, Eunice. Neurocognitive sequelae in children with brain tumours: a review of the literature. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2010, vol.11, n.1, pp.83-99. ISSN 1645-0086.

The success of medical interventions during the past three decades allowed an improvement in the survival rates of pediatric cancer. This fact has brought more attention to new issues related to quality of life, as well as to the range of effectiveness of the implemented interventions. These ones obey to the cost-benefit dynamics, at short, medium and long-term, for each child. Studies have been demonstrating that approximately one quarter to two thirds of survivors of childhood cancer experience moderate to severe life-threatening late effects (between them, the neurocognitive ones), which are a consequence of the disease and of the therapeutic interventions, and most of which can only be identified a few years later. The aim of this paper is to proceed to a review of the literature and systematization of the outcomes produced in the field of neurocognitive sequelae resulting from disease and treatments in children diagnosed with brain tumours. The results of the research made by the cross of the major descriptors defined, conducted to the identification of 13 published articles between the years of 2003 and 2007. Having the analysis of these articles as starting point, it was concluded that: (a) neurocognitive alterations may result from the tumour itself, the surgery, the cerebral radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, and (b) there are variables mediating the nature, intensity and extension of the detected deficits. However, despite the growing interest in the study of neurocognitive sequelae in children with brain tumors in recent years, it is important to continue to develop studies with fewer methodological limitations that bring new contributions to the area, and to implement projects for evaluation and neurocognitive rehabilitation in health services to minimize the deficits and promote a better overall quality of life.

Keywords : Brain tumour; Late effects; Neurocognitive; Pediatrics; Sequelae.

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