Early adolescent language development following intrathecal chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

<p><i>Purpose</i>: Central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is routinely achieved through intrathecal chemotherapy (ITC). The presence of high level language deficits in older children who received CNS-directed ITC for ALL in early childhood is yet to be elucidated, with previous research suggesting that high level language deficits may appear later in ALL survivors’ development at an age when these skills typically emerge.</p> <p><i>Method</i>: A test battery covering foundational language skills and higher-order language skills was administered to five participants (aged 10–15 years) with a history of ITC for ALL. Conversion of each child’s language performance scores to <i>z</i> scores allowed for clinical interpretation of data across the language areas tested.</p> <p><i>Result:</i> Foundational language skills were, in general, of no clinical concern. Three of the five children presented with clinically impaired language skills in areas including resolving ambiguity, making inferences and composing novel sentences. Performance variation between the participants and within the individual participants was noted.</p> <p><i>Conclusion:</i> Given the importance of early adolescent language abilities to academic and social development in late primary and secondary schooling, these preliminary findings suggest further research into emerging adolescent language abilities following ITC for ALL is warranted.</p

The effect of access to a designated interdisciplinary post-acute rehabilitation service on participant outcomes after brain injury

Objective This study aimed to determine the influence of participation in a designated acquired brain injury (ABI) transitional rehabilitation service (ABI TRS) on outcome, in the context of a historical comparison group (HIST). Design: A cohort study, with retrospective comparison. Participants: 187 persons with ABI. Measures: The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Mayo-Portland Adaptability Index (MPAI-4) and Sydney Psychosocial and Reintegration Scale (SPRS) were completed at discharge and 3 months after discharge. Participation in the ABI TRS involved interdisciplinary rehabilitation, 2–4 times per week, for 3 months after hospital discharge. Results: There was evidence that at 3 months, participants with ABI TRS showed stabilized psychological wellbeing, and improvements in MPAI-4 ability and participation scores; in addition to improvements in SPRS occupational activity and living skills scores. Conclusion: A designated ABI TRS may improve the transition from hospital to home, and could form an important part of the brain injury rehabilitation continuum, between the inpatient and community setting