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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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  • Jonathan Kjær Grønbæk, University of Copenhagen
  • ,
  • Aske Foldbjerg Laustsen, University of Copenhagen
  • ,
  • Sebastian Toescu, University College London
  • ,
  • Barry Pizer, University of Liverpool
  • ,
  • Conor Mallucci, Alder Hey Children's Hospital
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  • Kristian Aquilina, University College London
  • ,
  • Emanuela Molinari, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
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  • Magnus Aasved Hjort, St. Olav's Hospital
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  • Lingvita Gumbeleviciene, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
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  • Peter Hauser, Semmelweis University, BAZ County Central Hospital and University Teaching Hospital
  • ,
  • Beatrix Pálmafy, National Institute of Neurosciences
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  • Kirsten van Baarsen, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology
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  • Eelco Hoving, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology
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  • Julian Zipfel, University of Tübingen
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  • Christoffer Ehrstedt, Uppsala University
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  • Pernilla Grillner, Karolinska Institutet
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  • Michael Thude Callesen, Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital
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  • Radek Frič, University of Oslo
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  • Morten Wibroe, University of Copenhagen
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  • Karsten Nysom, University of Copenhagen
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  • Kjeld Schmiegelow, University of Copenhagen
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  • Astrid Sehested, University of Copenhagen
  • ,
  • René Mathiasen, University of Copenhagen
  • ,
  • Marianne Juhler, University of Copenhagen
  • ,
  • 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
Issue8
Pages (from-to)1479-1485
Number of pages7
ISSN0256-7040
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

    Research areas

  • Cerebellar mutism syndrome, Handedness, Posterior fossa syndrome

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