Narrative Ability in Swedish Children Treated for Posterior Fossa Tumours: Macro- and Microstructural Performance before and 1-4 Weeks after Surgery
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| Title: | Narrative Ability in Swedish Children Treated for Posterior Fossa Tumours: Macro- and Microstructural Performance before and 1-4 Weeks after Surgery |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | K. Persson (ORCID |
| Source: | International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. 2026 61(3). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Children, Brain, Cancer, Speech Impairments, Communication Problems, Morphology (Languages), Syntax, Cognitive Ability, Surgery, Scores, Grammar, Error Patterns, Narration, Language Skills, Oral Language |
| Geographic Terms: | Sweden |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.70248 |
| ISSN: | 1368-2822 1460-6984 |
| Abstract: | Background: Posterior fossa tumours (PFT), among the most common childhood brain tumours, place children at risk of speech, language, and communication difficulties, often described in relation to cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) but also seen in children without mutism. Narrative ability refers to the capacity to understand, create, and share stories. Narratives can be analysed at the macrostructural level, capturing structure and content, and the microstructural level, reflecting, for example, morphosyntax and lexicon. Narrative ability has not previously been investigated in children with PFT at both levels, including pre- and postoperative data, or in relation to CMS or dysarthria. Aims: The aims were to investigate narrative ability at macrostructural and microstructural levels in children with PFT compared with typically developing (TD) peers, to investigate pre- to postoperative changes at both levels in children with PFT, and to examine relations between macro- and microstructure and the presence of CMS and dysarthria. Methods: A story-generation task from the Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI) was administered pre- and postoperatively, in the early postoperative phase (1-4 weeks after surgery). Macrostructure was analysed using ideascore, and microstructure using mean length of utterance in words (MLUw), grammaticality (GY), subordination index (SI), lexical diversity (MATTR), and words per minute (WPM). Group comparisons and associations with CMS and dysarthria were analysed using linear regressions, and changes over time with mixed-effects models. Results: Children with PFT scored significantly lower than TD peers on the macrostructural measure ideascore and on several microstructural measures, including MLUw, GY, and WPM, both pre- and postoperatively (all p < 0.05). SI and MATTR did not differ between groups. Difficulties were most pronounced among older children. No significant pre- to postoperative changes were found, although individual variability was evident. The small group of children with CMS did not differ significantly from other children with PFT, while those with postoperative dysarthria showed a decline in both macro- and microstructure (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Children with PFT showed pre- and postoperative difficulties at macro- and microstructural levels, producing narratives with fewer story elements, shorter utterances, and more grammatical errors compared with TD peers. The age-related differences suggest that narrative difficulties become more prominent as language and cognitive demands increase. The findings underline the clinical importance of including narrative tasks encompassing macro- and microstructural aspects, together with motor-speech evaluation, in assessment and follow-up of children treated for PFT to guide appropriate interventions. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1506915 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Background: Posterior fossa tumours (PFT), among the most common childhood brain tumours, place children at risk of speech, language, and communication difficulties, often described in relation to cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) but also seen in children without mutism. Narrative ability refers to the capacity to understand, create, and share stories. Narratives can be analysed at the macrostructural level, capturing structure and content, and the microstructural level, reflecting, for example, morphosyntax and lexicon. Narrative ability has not previously been investigated in children with PFT at both levels, including pre- and postoperative data, or in relation to CMS or dysarthria. Aims: The aims were to investigate narrative ability at macrostructural and microstructural levels in children with PFT compared with typically developing (TD) peers, to investigate pre- to postoperative changes at both levels in children with PFT, and to examine relations between macro- and microstructure and the presence of CMS and dysarthria. Methods: A story-generation task from the Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI) was administered pre- and postoperatively, in the early postoperative phase (1-4 weeks after surgery). Macrostructure was analysed using ideascore, and microstructure using mean length of utterance in words (MLUw), grammaticality (GY), subordination index (SI), lexical diversity (MATTR), and words per minute (WPM). Group comparisons and associations with CMS and dysarthria were analysed using linear regressions, and changes over time with mixed-effects models. Results: Children with PFT scored significantly lower than TD peers on the macrostructural measure ideascore and on several microstructural measures, including MLUw, GY, and WPM, both pre- and postoperatively (all p < 0.05). SI and MATTR did not differ between groups. Difficulties were most pronounced among older children. No significant pre- to postoperative changes were found, although individual variability was evident. The small group of children with CMS did not differ significantly from other children with PFT, while those with postoperative dysarthria showed a decline in both macro- and microstructure (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Children with PFT showed pre- and postoperative difficulties at macro- and microstructural levels, producing narratives with fewer story elements, shorter utterances, and more grammatical errors compared with TD peers. The age-related differences suggest that narrative difficulties become more prominent as language and cognitive demands increase. The findings underline the clinical importance of including narrative tasks encompassing macro- and microstructural aspects, together with motor-speech evaluation, in assessment and follow-up of children treated for PFT to guide appropriate interventions. |
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| ISSN: | 1368-2822 1460-6984 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.70248 |
