Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33417160›Full record

SynthesisCerebellum (London, England)2021

Neuroimaging Biomarkers and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Pediatric Medulloblastoma Patients: a Systematic Review.

Maarten Wauters, Anne Uyttebroeck, Liesbeth De Waele, Charlotte Sleurs, Sandra Jacobs

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Cerebellum (London, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Child opportunity and cognitive development in a clinically referred sample.Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Maarten WautersDepartment of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Anne UyttebroeckDepartment of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Liesbeth De WaeleDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Charlotte SleursDepartment of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. charlotte.sleurs@kuleuven.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4480-8330
Sandra JacobsDepartment of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
KU Leuven · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Medulloblastoma is a malign posterior fossa brain tumor, mostly occurring in childhood. The CNS-directed chemoradiotherapy treatment can be very harmful to the developing brain and functional outcomes of these patients. However, what the underlying neurotoxic mechanisms are remain inconclusive. Hence, this review summarizes the existing literature on the association between advanced neuroimaging and neurocognitive changes in patients that were treated for pediatric medulloblastoma. The PubMed/Medline database was extensively screened for studies investigating the link between cognitive outcomes and multimodal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in childhood medulloblastoma survivors. A behavioral meta-analysis was performed on the available IQ scores. A total of 649 studies were screened, of which 22 studies were included. Based on this literature review, we conclude medulloblastoma patients to be at risk for white matter volume loss, more frequent white matter lesions, and changes in white matter microstructure. Such microstructural alterations were associated with lower IQ, which reached the clinical cut-off in survivors across studies. Using functional MR scans, changes in activity were observed in cerebellar areas, associated with working memory and processing speed. Finally, cerebral microbleeds were encountered more often, but these were not associated with cognitive outcomes. Regarding intervention studies, computerized cognitive training was associated with changes in prefrontal and cerebellar activation and physical training might result in microstructural and cortical alterations. Hence, to better define the neural targets for interventions in pediatric medulloblastoma patients, this review suggests working towards neuroimaging-based predictions of cognitive outcomes. To reach this goal, large multimodal prospective imaging studies are highly recommended.

Indexed as

AdolescentBiomarkersCerebellar NeoplasmsChildChild, PreschoolCognitionFemaleHumansInfantMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMedulloblastomaNeuroimagingNeuropsychological TestsBiomarkersInnovative imaging methodsMedulloblastomaMRIMultimodal neuroimagingNeurocognitionNeurocognitive outcomesPediatricSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID33417160
OpenAlexW3120795643

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.