Attention, memory, and executive functions profile in a prospective cohort of patients with malignant glioma

Abstract

A prospective cohort study was structured to examine patient’s tumor mass factors that could determine a specific cognitive function profile in patients with Malignant Glioma who survived after the Stupp protocol, while adjusting for previously explored confounding factors. Neuropsi - Attention and Memory (Second edition) was applied after tumor resection, but before any other oncological treatment. Follow-up neuropsychological evaluation was conducted when patients completed the Stupp protocol treatment scheme. To estimate the mean difference between follow-up and baseline Neuropsi subtest scores, a Bayesian Mixed Effects Model was fitted with three random-effect regressors representing tumor locations, co-administered medications and by-patient cognitive performance variability. Sixteen patients were included. Temporal lobe tumors were the most frequent (31.2%) and more than three-fourths of those were located in the left lobe; such results agree with the clinical and statistical significance that supports an impairment in the Semantic Verbal Fluency subtest (Mean score change = −5.97, 95% Credible Interval = [−8.01, −3.80]). The findings suggest that any potential variants in a determined cognitive dysfunction profile could be more influenced by tumor location than any other variable related to the patient’s tumor mass or administered oncological medications; however, because the limited sample representativeness, additional studies are required.

Keywords:

• Bayesian inference
• cognitive dysfunction
• malignant glioma
• temporal lobe
• verbal fluency

Acknowledgments

The authors want to especially thank Gonzalo Mejia for his critical reading of the manuscript and valuable comments.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. S. Loaiza was supported by Clinica Las Americas, L. Ortiz by Instituto de Cancerologia Las Americas and A. Galvis by San Buenaventura University, all institutions from Medellin, Colombia. The authors do not have conflicts of interest to declare.