Left-handedness should not be overrated as a risk factor for postoperative speech impairment in children after posterior fossa tumour surgery: a prospective European multicentre study

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  • On behalf of The CMS study group

Purpose: Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) is a severe neurological complication of posterior fossa tumour surgery in children, and postoperative speech impairment (POSI) is the main component. Left-handedness was previously suggested as a strong risk factor for POSI. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between handedness and the risk of POSI. Methods: We prospectively included children (aged < 18 years) undergoing surgery for posterior fossa tumours in 26 European centres. Handedness was assessed pre-operatively and postoperative speech status was categorised as either POSI (mutism or reduced speech) or habitual speech, based on the postoperative clinical assessment. Logistic regression was used in the risk factor analysis of POSI as a dichotomous outcome. Results: Of the 500 children included, 37 (7%) were excluded from the present analysis due to enrolment at a reoperation; another 213 (43%) due to missing data about surgery (n = 37) and/or handedness (n = 146) and/or postoperative speech status (n = 53). Out of the remaining 250 (50%) patients, 20 (8%) were left-handed and 230 (92%) were right-handed. POSI was observed equally frequently regardless of handedness (5/20 [25%] in left-handed, 61/230 [27%] in right-handed, OR: 1.08 [95% CI: 0.40–3.44], p = 0.882), also when adjusted for tumour histology, location and age. Conclusion: We found no difference in the risk of POSI associated with handedness. Our data do not support the hypothesis that handedness should be of clinical relevance in the risk assessment of CMS.

Original languageEnglish
JournalChild's Nervous System
Volume38
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1479-1485
ISSN0256-7040
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was funded by The Danish Childhood Cancer Foundation, The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, The Brain Tumour Charity (UK), The Danish Cancer Society, King Christian IX and Queen Louise’s anniversary grant, The Danish Capitol Regions Research Fund, Dagmar Marshall Foundation and Rigshospitalet’s Research Fund in support of oncology purposes and Braintrust (SCOT). All research at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health is made possible by the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. This work is part of Childhood Oncology Network Targeting Research, Organization & Life expectancy (CONTROL) and supported by Danish Cancer Society and the Danish Childhood Cancer Foundation. The funding bodies had no role in the design of the study, analyses, interpretation of the data or decision to submit results.

Funding Information:
KS reports personal fees from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Servier, Amgen, and Medscape, and personal fees and grants from Servier, outside the submitted work. KN reports personal fees from Bayer, EUSA Pharma and Y-mAbs, all outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests.

    Research areas

  • Cerebellar mutism syndrome, Handedness, Posterior fossa syndrome

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