Sex-Based Differences in Functional Brain Activity During Working Memory in Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
JNCI Cancer Spectr
; 6(2)2022 03 02.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35603857
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at elevated risk for neurocognitive deficits and corresponding brain dysfunction. This study examined sex-based differences in functional neuroimaging outcomes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors treated with chemotherapy alone.METHODS:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neurocognitive testing were obtained in 123 survivors (46% male; median [min-max] age = 14.2 years [8.3-26.5 years]; time since diagnosis = 7.7 years [5.1-12.5 years]) treated on the St. Jude Total XV treatment protocol. Participants performed the n-back working memory task in a 3 T scanner. Functional neuroimaging data were processed (realigned, slice time corrected, normalized, smoothed) and analyzed using statistical parametric mapping with contrasts for 1-back and 2-back conditions, which reflect varying degrees of working memory and task load. Group-level fMRI contrasts were stratified by sex and adjusted for age and methotrexate exposure. Statistical tests were 2-sided (P < .05 statistical significance threshold).RESULTS:
Relative to males, female survivors exhibited less activation (ie, reduced blood oxygen dependent-level signals) in the right parietal operculum, supramarginal gyrus and inferior occipital gyrus, and bilateral superior frontal medial gyrus during increased working memory load (family-wise error-corrected P = .004 to .008, adjusting for age and methotrexate dose). Female survivors were slower to correctly respond to the 2-back condition than males (P < .05), though there were no differences in overall accuracy. Performance accuracy was negatively correlated with fMRI activity in female survivors (Pearson's r = -0.39 to -0.29, P = .001 to .02), but not in males.CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest the working memory network is more impaired in female survivors than male survivors, which may contribute to ongoing functional deficits.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Asunto principal:
Leucemia-Linfoma Linfoblástico de Células Precursoras
/
Memoria a Corto Plazo
Tipo de estudio:
Guideline
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Child
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Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
JNCI Cancer Spectr
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos