Abstract #1697

Functional connectivity changes in attention-related networks of childhood leukemia survivors

Charlotte Sleurs¹, Iris Elens², Jurgen Lemiere¹, Thibo Billiet³, Dorothée Vercruysse⁴, Patricia Bijttebier⁵, Marina Danckaerts², Rudi D'Hooghe⁶, Ron Peeters³, Stefan Sunaert³, Anne Uyttebroeck¹, Stefaan Van Gool⁷, and Sabine Deprez³

¹Pediatric Hemato-Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ²Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ³Radiology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ⁴Gynaecological Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ⁵School Psychology and Child and Adolescent Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ⁶Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ⁷Pediatric Hemato-Oncology, University Hospital, Aachen, Germany

Neurocognitive sequelae in childhood leukemia survivors are often related to attentional disfunctioning. We investigated whether altered functional brain connectivity might explain neurocognitive sequelae in childhood leukemia survivors. Resting state fMRI was investigated, by using ROI-based connectivity comparisons as well as dual regression analysis at whole-brain level. We demonstrated that the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Inferior Temporal Gyrus, was less functionally connected in childhood leukemia survivors compared to controls. This suggests an altered coherence between activity of the DMN and Fronto-Parietal Network (FPN). Finally, based on this specific connectivity we could predict clearly reduced cognitive flexibility of the patients.

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