Distractibility and memory deficits in long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was administered to 37 long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 18 newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients in an attempt to identify patterns of neuropsychological performance. Newly diagnosed patients between 7 and 15 years of age generally obtained scores within normal limits. On most measures of intelligence long-term survivors within the same age range obtained mean test scores approximately 1 standard deviation below the population mean. Fourteen of 30 long-term survivors under 16 years of age exhibited a pattern of test scores suggestive of memory deficits and distractibility which may have interfered with academic achievement. Only one patient over 8 years of age at diagnosis produced a similar pattern of scores. We conclude that young children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at risk for the development of neuropsychological dysfunction and that appropriate programs for identification and academic remediation should be instituted.