Utility of the N-back task in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia |
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Authors: | Joshua Luxton Tara M. Brinkman Cara Kimberg Leslie L. Robison Melissa M. Hudson |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TN, USA;2. Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TN, USA;3. Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TN, USA |
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Abstract: | The N-back task is often used in functional brain imaging studies to activate working memory networks; however, limited information is available on its association to clinical outcomes in children or cancer survivors. A total of 137 survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; mean current age = 14.3 years, SD = 4.8; time since diagnosis = 7.6 years, SD = 1.6) completed the N-back task and comprehensive neurocognitive testing, including standardized measures of attention, processing speed, and working memory. Results indicated that females demonstrated significantly slower reaction times (0-back p = .02; 1-back p = .03) than males. Survivors <15 years old at the time of testing demonstrated a significant decrease in accuracy as working memory load increased compared to survivors ≥15 years old (p < .001). Performance on the N-back task was associated with nonverbal working memory (rs = .56, p < .001) in survivors ≥15 years of age. For younger survivors, N-back performance was more strongly associated with attention skills. Results suggest the N-back assesses different cognitive constructs at younger compared to older childhood ages. These age differences should be considered in interpreting functional brain imaging results. |
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Keywords: | Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia Working memory N-back |
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