Working Memory Performance, Attention Maintenance and Executive Function in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are receiving chemotherapy are at risk of developing a wide range of neurological disorder during medical treatment. This study was conducted to compare working memory performance, attention maintenance and executive function in children with ALL and healthy children.
This causal-comparative research was performed on 50 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 50 healthy children (their sibling) who were between the ages of 7 and 12 years in Children hospital. We used random sampling method. N-back working memory test (N-Back) for working memory function, continuous performance test (CPT) for attention maintenance, and Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) for executive function and flexibility were applied.
Independent T-test and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze the findings. Children with ALL have more deficiency in working memory performance (accuracy; correct response: r = 0.01 and unanswered r = 0.008) and executive functions compared to the control group (% Correct: r = 0.03, % Errors: r = 0.01, Categories achieved: r = 0.017, Failures to maintain set: r = 0.001). But there were no significant differences in attention maintenance scores between the two groups.
Children with ALL compared to their healthy siblings show a weak function in cortical regions and frontal lobe. Bio-psycho-social factors lead to cognitive disruption in ALL group.