1. The posterior fossa syndrome questionnaire: using science to inform practice
- Author
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Molly E. Wickenhauser, Raja B. Khan, Darcy Raches, Jason M. Ashford, Kathryn M. W. Russell, Kristin Lyons, Giles W. Robinson, Amar Gajjar, Paul Klimo, and Heather M. Conklin
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Cancer Research ,Adolescent ,Cerebellar Ataxia ,Mutism ,Article ,Young Adult ,Postoperative Complications ,Neurology ,Oncology ,Child, Preschool ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Humans ,Ataxia ,Female ,Neurology (clinical) ,Cerebellar Neoplasms ,Child ,Medulloblastoma - Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Up to 34% of patients with medulloblastoma develop posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) following brain tumor resection and have increased risk of long-term neurocognitive impairments. Lack of agreement in conceptualization and diagnosis of PFS calls for improvements in diagnostic methods. The current study aimed to describe psychometric properties of a new Posterior Fossa Syndrome Questionnaire (PFSQ). METHODS: The PFSQ was informed by prior research and developed by a multidisciplinary team with subject matter expertise. Participants (N = 164; 63.4% Male; 78.7% White; M(age at diagnosis) = 10.38 years, SD = 5.09, range 3 – 31 years) included patients with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma enrolled in the SJMB12 clinical trial. Forty-four patients (26.8%) were classified as having PFS based on attending physician’s post-surgical yes/no report. A PFSQ was completed by a neurologist within 2 weeks of coming to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for adjuvant treatment, irrespective of suspicion for PFS. RESULTS: PFSQ items Ataxia (100.00%), Dysmetria (95.45%), and Speech/Language Changes (79.55%) were most sensitive. However, Ataxia (26.50%) and Dysmetria (46.61%) demonstrated low specificity. Speech/Language Changes (81.36%), Mutism (95.76%), Orofacial Apraxia (98.29%) and Irritability (96.61%) had high specificity. A principal component analysis found four components: 1) Speech/Language Changes, 2) Apraxias (including mutism), 3) Motor/Oromotor, and 4) Emotional Lability. CONCLUSIONS: The PFSQ is a dimensional diagnostic approach that can be used to improve diagnostic consistency across clinical and research groups to help accelerate understanding of PFS etiology, identify surgical correlates of risk, predict long-term impairments, and develop targeted interventions. Additional measure validation, including correlation with symptom resolution, is required.
- Published
- 2022