Children who experience cancer can, as a consequence of their illness or the treatment of it, develop problems with their memory, concentration or speed of thinking. These are examples of cognitive problems that can be limiting in daily life, because they can affect their independence, social interactions or academic skills.
At the moment, cognitive problems are only assessed in patients when there is a clinical indication. Because of this, it can take a while for cognitive problems to be noticed. The goal of the NEMO project is to see whether we can detect possible cognitive problems earlier and better by frequently doing short cognitive tests. By looking at individual trajectories, we hope to identify children at risk of developing cognitive problems earlier on. Ultimately, in the future, we can provide them with interventions to prevent further decline.