# Longitudinal, multimodal assessment of neuropsychological functioning in children diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (HR-ALL): Using early changes to predict later impairment

> **NIH NIH R01** · CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2021 · $370,393

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Children with “high-risk” leukemia receive intense treatments that, while life-saving, can also
cause them to develop problems with the way they learn and think. This does not happen to all
children receiving these treatments, but we cannot yet predict who will develop problems. One
reason that we lack this information is that it is often difficult to test changes in the way children
learn while they are receiving medical treatment. Children may feel too sick to complete testing,
psychologists are not always available to do the evaluations, and insurance companies may not
cover the testing that is needed.
In this project, we aim to identify the first signs of changes in thinking and learning using a short,
computerized testing program. The tests can be given in clinic by nurses or other staff, and cost
very little money. We will test children starting shortly after leukemia is diagnosed, and several
times during the course of their treatment, so that we can identify problems as soon as they
start to occur. Children in our study will also receive a one-hour evaluation with widely-used
tests of learning and memory, given by a psychologist, five years after their diagnosis. We will
determine whether results from the computerized tests are able to predict performance on the
more traditional tests given by the psychologists. If computerized testing done early in
treatment helps us to better predict who will go on to have difficulties, we can help to slow down
or eliminate these problems.
Finally, we want to determine the extent to which other factors also contribute to problems that
develop as a result of leukemia treatment. We are especially interested in looking at factors
known to affect children's thinking and learning skills, like a family's access to resources, mental
health difficulties, and medical problems that can occur during treatment. We will also be asking
children to tell us about how tired, sick, or in pain they are right before they complete the
computerized testing program. Because there is some evidence indicating that these types of
symptoms may affect children's performance on cognitive tests, we believe that it's important to
describe any impact that these symptoms have on children's thinking and learning, both early in
treatment and also much later. If we can better understand how all of these factors relate to
survivors' patterns of thinking and learning, we can better predict which individuals may be
affected by those problems.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10170282
- **Project number:** 5R01CA212190-05
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Leanne Embry
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $370,393
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-06 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10170282

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10170282, Longitudinal, multimodal assessment of neuropsychological functioning in children diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (HR-ALL): Using early changes to predict later impairment (5R01CA212190-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10170282. Licensed CC0.

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