Postoperative word-finding difficulties in children with posterior fossa tumours: a crosslinguistic European cohort study

• DOI: 10.1007/s00381-025-06787-4
• Publication Date: 2025-03-12T19:28:59Z
• Authors: K. Persson; J. Grønbæk; I. Tiberg; Å. Fyrberg; C. Castor; B. Andreozzi; R. Frič; P. Hauser; R. Kiudeliene; C. Mallucci; R. Mathiasen; P. Nyman; B. Pizer; A. Sehested; D. Boeg Thomsen

Abstract Purpose Posterior fossa tumour (PFT) surgery carries a risk of mutism or severely reduced speech. As for higher-cognitive language functions, word-finding difficulties have been reported, but no study has compared pre- and postoperative speeds to identify impairment caused by surgery. The current investigated changes in ability associated with PFT examined factors affecting ability. Method We included 184 children aged 5:0–17:9 years undergoing assessed before after using speeded picture-naming test. performance both preoperative age-specific norms Results found significant difference between performance, reflecting that some exhibited better surgery, others poorer. After 95% the performed two standard deviations above (slower than) norms. Tumour location fourth ventricle negatively affected ( B = −4.09, p < 0.05). Conclusion For children, leads difficulties, emphasizing importance assessments interventions. Fourth-ventricle emerged as factor poorer ability, likely surgical damage dentato-thalamo-cortical pathway (DTCP).