[Cerebral trauma - psychological trauma? Study of 47 children with medulloblastoma and their follow-up]. / Traumatisme cérébral. Traumatisme psychique? Etude de 47 enfants atteints de médulloblastome et de leur devenir.

ABSTRACT

47 Children with medulloblastoma who were treated between 1954 and 1974 were studied. The parents and children were interviewed regularly with their medical attendants to estimate the contribution of the organic disease, the psychological factors and the environment on their intellectual performance and their personalities. In the assessment, allowance was made for their age, clinical history, and social and scholastic background. The analysis helped in the choice of the most appropriate psychological support. The difficulties of social re-adjustment cannot be solely due to the brain tumour or its sequelae. The parents have to forget their idealised image of their child, who never existed and who never will, so that they can give the child a new start and enjoy life without fear of death. In this distressing exercise, the extent of the emotional trauma becomes obvious.