Preoperative and postoperative cognitive functioning in patients with frontal meningiomas

TLDR

Cognitive deficits caused by intracranial meningiomas are poorly characterized. The study prospectively examined pre‑ and postoperative cognitive function in 54 patients with frontal meningiomas. Patients completed a standardized neuropsychological battery assessing memory, attention, visuoconstruction, and executive functions before and 4–9 months after surgery, and their performance was compared with matched healthy controls and analyzed for tumor‑related factors. Surgical removal of frontal meningiomas does not impair cognition and may improve attentional functions.

Abstract

There is presently no specific information available concerning the nature and course of cognitive deficits caused by intracranial meningiomas. In this prospective study the authors examined the cognitive functioning of patients with frontal meningiomas.Fifty-four patients with frontal meningiomas were examined neuropsychologically before and after neurosurgery. The test battery consisted of standardized instruments including those assessing memory, attention, visuoconstructive abilities, and executive functions. The time period between pre-and postoperative assessment ranged from 4 to 9 months. The patients' performance was compared with the results in 54 healthy adults who were also assessed twice by using the same test battery in a period ranging from 4 to 9 months. In addition, the effect on cognition of meningioma lateralization, localization, lesion size, edema, brain compression, time course, and the occurrence of preoperative seizures was analyzed.Except in the case of working memory, comparisons of pre- and postoperative assessments of cognition revealed no differences in memory, visuoconstructive abilities, or executive functions, although a postoperative improvement in attentional functions was observed. The results of this study indicate that the surgical removal of frontal meningiomas does not impair patients' cognitive functioning. Furthermore, improvements in attentional functions may occur in these patients.