Grant Details
Grant Number: |
5R01CA240360-05 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Sussman, Elyse |
Organization: |
Albert Einstein College Of Medicine |
Project Title: |
Characterization of Brain Dysfunction During Development in Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia |
Fiscal Year: |
2024 |
Abstract
Project Summary
Between 40-70% of children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on contemporary protocols exhibit
measurable deficits in cognitive functioning, which negatively impacts school and occupational performance,
and diminishes quality of life. However, the specific processing deficits contributing to poor cognitive
functioning in survivors of childhood ALL and the implications for ongoing brain development are poorly
understood. The goal of this project is to characterize treatment-related effects on brain functions (Aim 1),
identify abnormal patterns of neural connectivity (Aim 2), and assess chronic effects of chemotherapy
treatment on the development of cognitive skills (Aim 3) in childhood survivors. We achieve these aims by
using a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging measures to demonstrate effects on
neurocognitive function, brain activity and brain development following chemotherapy compared to healthy,
matched controls. Our study is designed to identify the relative contributions of sensory processes, memory,
and attentional mechanisms, and cortical-maturation delays to poor performance on standardized tests of
cognition function. Our approach will lead to the development of a powerful set of tools for identifying children
with persistent treatment-related changes in cognitive functioning due to exposure to toxic therapy. Results will
differentiate the level at which processing deficits occur (Aims 1 and 2), and longitudinally assess cognitive
development (Aim 3) and the associated development in brain function and pathways in survivors of childhood
ALL. This contribution is significant because defining the loci of neurocognitive dysfunction caused by ALL
treatment would guide the development of novel preventive, treatment, and intervention strategies.
Publications
Language Disorders Research on Bilingualism, School-Age, and Related Difficulties: A Scoping Review of Descriptive Studies.
Authors: Bonuck K.
, Shafer V.
, Battino R.
, Valicenti-McDermott R.M.
, Sussman E.S.
, McGrath K.
.
Source: Academic Pediatrics, 2022 May-Jun; 22(4), p. 518-525.
EPub date: 2021-12-08 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 34896271
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