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Neural correlates of word-finding difficulties in children with posterior fossa tumors: A voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping study
Poster Session B, Wednesday, September 30, 4:30 - 6:30 pm, Wangari Maathai
This poster is part of the Sandbox Series.
Elisa Gottardi1,2,3, Aliene Reinders2, Rida Ahmed1,2,3, Barbara Höhle3, Natalie Boll-Avetisyan3, Jonathan Kjær Grønbæk4, Ditte Boeg Thomsen5, Annet Kingma6, Karin Persson7, René Mathiasen4, Christine Dahl4, Andrea Carai8, Bianca Andreozzi8, Angela Mastronuzzi8,9, Barry Pizer10,11, Colin Thorbinson11, Kristian Aquilina12, Eelco Hoving13, Marianne Juhler14, Roel Jonkers2, Vânia de Aguiar2,6; 1International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB), 2University of Groningen, 3University of Potsdam, 4Rigshospitalet University Hospital, Copenhagen, 5University of Copenhagen, 6University Medical Center Groningen, 7Lund University, 8Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, 9Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, 10University of Liverpool, 11Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, 12Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, 13Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, 14Aarhus University Hospital
Although the cerebellum has been traditionally associated with motor control, growing evidence from neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies has also highlighted its role in higher cognitive functions, including language (Castro et al., 2026; LeBel & D’Mello, 2023; Mariën et al., 2014). The role of the “linguistic cerebellum” becomes particularly evident in studies of language impairments associated with cerebellar lesions, such as those observed in children with posterior fossa tumors (PFT). PFT are the most common pediatric brain tumors, primarily affecting the cerebellum and brainstem. Children with PFT can experience language impairments before and after surgery, including word-finding difficulties, characterized by slower and/or less accurate naming performance (see Persson et al., 2024; 2025). The current study aims to conduct a voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) analysis to examine the association between preoperative tissue damage related to the tumor and picture-naming performance in children with PFT. Previous research reported associations between language processing and the right posterior-lateral regions of cerebellar lobules VI and VII (Mariën et al., 2014). Hence, we hypothesize that lesions in these areas may be related to poorer accuracy and/or slower reaction times. Within lobule VII, additional evidence suggests a particular role for the right Crus I and Crus II in language processing, especially semantic processing (LeBel and D’Mello, 2023). Accordingly, we hypothesize that lesions in these regions may be associated with word-finding difficulties. Regarding the brainstem, previous research has primarily focused on its role in speech perception (see Krishnan & Gandour, 2009). Therefore, the present study adopts an exploratory approach with respect to the potential link between brainstem lesions and word-finding difficulties. We plan to include 106 patients (M = 8 years and 7 months, SD = 4 years and 1 month), for whom preoperative MRI scans were available and who underwent preoperative speeded picture-naming assessment. Neuroimaging and language data from patients are available through the European Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome Study (Wibroe et al., 2017) and are currently under analysis. From the picture-naming dataset, we are extracting naming accuracy and reaction times. Tumor location is being segmented in MRIcroGL using contrast-enhanced T1-weighted scans, with additional MRI sequences (e.g., T2, DWI, and non-contrast T1) used as references when necessary. Currently, 71% of picture-naming data and 58% of neuroimaging data have already been processed. After normalization of lesion maps, multivariate lesion-symptom mapping will be employed to study the relation between lesion patterns and naming performance (accuracy and reaction times), while correcting for multiple comparisons. This study may help clarify the neuroanatomical correlates of naming difficulties in children with PFT, contributing to a better understanding of cerebellar involvement in language processing. By linking lesion location to specific behavioural outcomes, our findings could inform models of cerebellar contributions to language and possibly support more targeted clinical assessment of language difficulties in this population.
Topic Areas: Disorders: Acquired, Language Production