Children’s of Alabama Welcomes Pediatric Neuropsychologist Specializing in Neuro-Oncology 

With or without cancer, childhood is a very important time for brain development. Yet the experience of cancer itself, as well as the cognitive effects of many cancer treatments, can derail that development, leaving kids at risk for long-lasting social, psychological, and cognitive challenges.  

“The great thing is that with the wonderful advancements in medical treatments and the comprehensive care these children receive, most will survive,” said Emily A.H. Warren, Ph.D., who came to Children’s of Alabama in the fall of 2021 as its first neuropsychologist dedicated specifically to caring for pediatric brain tumor patients. “Now there can be much more attention focused on quality of life, neurocognitive development, and long-term outcomes like educational attainment.” 

Children’s diagnoses and treats more than 60 new central nervous system tumors a year. Dr. Warren uses her expertise in brain development and neuroanatomy to evaluate cognitive development in children with brain tumors. “My main goal is to provide families with a high-quality neuropsychological evaluation, so I can help them understand the potential impact of their child’s brain tumor diagnosis and treatments on cognitive and psychosocial outcomes and support their child in pursuing their goals,” she said. 

Her work begins with a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment covering everything from intellectual functioning to learning, memory, attention, executive functioning, processing speed, visual motor skills, and psychosocial adjustment. 

“With that data, I can help families understand how a diagnosis like a brain tumor and treatments like surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy can affect brain development and cognitive abilities,” she said. The goal of the assessment is to carefully evaluate a child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses to promote the development of age-appropriate skills. Once she knows each child’s unique cognitive profile, Dr. Warren helps families identify ways to support their child. Supports could include developing an individualized education program (IEP) and other school-based or community interventions such as physical therapy, social skills training, or psychological therapies. 

“These children are going through so many complex challenges,” she said. “There are the social and emotional aspects of the diagnosis and treatment, which can be very hard on families. We also need to support their school reintegration because some of these children have been out of school for a while.” Additionally, children may have new functional deficits. They might be in a wheelchair, have visual or hearing impairment, “or just feel that their thinking is slower than it used to be, or they are having trouble getting their words out,” Dr. Warren added. 

“I like to spend a lot of time helping families understand the relationship between their child’s cognitive abilities and their academic achievements and social interactions. It is also important to help families understand the social and emotional impact of being a cancer survivor.”  

Dr. Warren’s research focuses on cognitive and social outcomes following radiation therapies for brain tumor survivors. “With advances in radiation technology, such as proton radiation, children tend to have better neurocognitive and developmental outcomes than we saw in the past,” she said.  “Even so, we still routinely see challenges with skills such as attention, executive functions, and processing speed. Children who receive more intensive therapies might be at greater risk for cognitive challenges. This is why it’s important to individually tailor each neuropsychological evaluation to meet the needs of each child.” 

Dr. Warren hopes to collaborate with her colleagues in pediatric oncology and radiation oncology to continue this research and is currently a co-investigator for a clinical trial exploring whether memantine, a drug used in Alzheimer’s disease, is neuroprotective in children receiving brain radiation.