Child's Study of the Impact of PF Lesion on Motor Skills, Language, Cognitive Functioning and Social Cognition

One of the major complications of posterior fossa surgery is Posterior Fossa Syndrome (PFS). This syndrome is due to a possible complication of surgical excision of a tumor of the cerebellum (4th ventricle) and is characterized by transient postoperative mutism, dysarthria, behavioral, and affective disorders, as well as motor disorders. PFS is thought to be related to axonal lesions. The long-term consequences on the cognitive and psychosocial sphere of PFS have been widely documented. On the other hand, the literature concerning the consequences of this syndrome on language is much restricted. Beyond the language, the role of cerebellum would be central in cognition, some authors even comparing it to a great "conductor" who would underlie the learning of most motor and cognitive automatisms.