Every year, about 180 children in the Netherlands are diagnosed with a brain tumor. Besides cure, quality of life during and after treatment is central. Neuropsychologist Eva Kremer- Hooft van Huijsduijnen studied at the Princess Máxima Center as a PhD student the role of stress, sleep and cognitive functioning in children with a brain tumor. She passed away on November 19, 2023, before the review and defense of her dissertation. Prof. Dr. Martha Grootenhuis, research group leader and professor of pediatric psycho-oncology: ' Eva was a versatile researcher who connected care and research. The insights gained by Eva bring our care for children with cancer and the research field further. During the symposium we reflected on this.'
Preventing sleep problems early
For children with cancer, sleep is essential for recovery and a good quality of life. Sleep is therefore part of several studies at the Máxima. Eva Kremer- Hooft van Huijsduijnen showed that the time from diagnosis is related to sleep problems. To this end, she examined 69 children using a movement meter, a wrist actigraph, and questionnaires. Her conclusion: Sleep problems occur more often in the first phase after diagnosis. Therefore, extra attention and possible interventions during this phase may be needed to prevent further or later sleep problems.
Stress
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it is very profound. Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are common after a brain tumor diagnosis, in both child and parents. Questionnaires allowed specific risk factors to be identified. Among other things, shorter time from diagnosis and starting radiotherapy are risk factors for PTSS. Therefore, health care providers should be extra alert to stress symptoms and intervene at an early phase. Interventions for stress reduction deserve further research. This can further improve the quality of life of the child and family.
Cognitive functioning
Children recently diagnosed with a brain tumor often have problems with memory and concentration. These cognitive problems do not appear to be correlated with PTSS and sleep problems shortly after diagnosis. However, Eva Kremer- Hooft van Huijsduijnen found that PTSS is related to cognition one year later. There appears to be no link between PTSS and white matter changes. This is the part of the brain that handles information transmission and is visible with an MRI scan. By linking this scan to data from questionnaires and cognitive tests, she searched for possible links. To find the risk factors that fit with reduced cognitive functioning and enable early interventions, further research is needed.
Eva Kremer-Hooft van Huijsduijnen
Eva Kremer- Hooft van Huijsduijnen's research findings were presented at the symposium by her colleagues. Dr. Marita Partanen, research group leader is one of them: 'Eva’s shining personality and work ethic made a significant contribution to the Maxima and our field of neuropsychology. Her research has provided many new insights for children with brain tumors that have been shared through publications with peers and worldwide. Her work will be continued by her colleagues and upcoming researchers.’
Eva Kremer-Hooft van Huijsduijnen passed away on November 19, 2023 at the age of 30 from cancer. Her manuscript was approved posthumously, and the doctorate was awarded posthumously on Wednesday September 8.