Cerebral blood flow and structural connectivity after working memory or physical training in paediatric cancer survivors - Exploratory findings.

Paediatric cancer survivors often suffer from cognitive long-term difficulties. Consequently, strengthening cognition is of major clinical relevance. This study investigated cerebral changes in relation to cognition in non-brain tumour paediatric cancer survivors after working memory or physical training compared to a control group. Thirty-four children (≥one-year post-treatment) either underwent eight weeks of working memory training ( n  = 10), physical training ( n  = 11), or a waiting period ( n  = 13). Cognition and MRI, including arterial spin labelling and diffusion tensor imaging, were assessed at three time points (baseline, post-training, and three-month follow-up). Results show lower cerebral blood flow immediately after working memory training ( z  = -2.073, p  = .038) and higher structural connectivity at the three-month follow-up ( z  = -2.240, p  = .025). No cerebral changes occurred after physical training. Short-term changes in cerebral blood flow correlated with short-term changes in cognitive flexibility ( r  = -.667, p  = .049), while long-term changes in structural connectivity correlated with long-term changes in working memory ( r  = .786, p  = .021). Despite the caution given when interpreting data from small samples, this study suggests a link between working memory training and neurophysiological changes. Further research is needed to validate these findings.