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Patients with incidental WHO grade II glioma frequently suffer from neuropsychological disturbances

  • Clinical Article - Brain Tumors
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Abstract

Background

Incidental WHO grade II gliomas (low-grade glioma, LGG) are increasingly diagnosed in patients undergoing MRI for many conditions. These patients are classically considered asymptomatic because they do not experience seizures. Although it was previously demonstrated that symptomatic LGG patients frequently have neurocognitive disorders, the literature does not provide data on the neuropsychological status of patients with incidental LGG (iLGG).

Objective

Our aim is to investigate whether neurocognitive impairments exist in a homogeneous iLGG population.

Methods

We conducted an analysis of pretreatment neuropsychological assessments of patients with iLGG (histologically proven) admitted to our center from 2007 to 2014. We also obtained data on subjective complaints, tumor size and location.

Results

Our study focused on 15 iLGG patients. Two thirds reported subjective complaints, mainly tiredness (40 %) and attentional impairment (33 %). Neurocognitive functions were disturbed in 60 % of patients; 53 % had altered executive functions, 20 % had working memory impairment, and 6 % had attentional disturbances. Only one patient with normal preoperative neuropsychological assessment experienced a deficit at the 3-month postoperative examination.

Conclusions

For the first time to our knowledge, we suggest that numerous iLGG patients have neuropsychological impairments. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to objective neuropsychological assessment in iLGG because of the high prevalence of insidious cognitive deficits. Moreover, our original findings bring into question the traditional wait-and-see attitude in iLGG, mainly based on the erroneous dogma that these patients have no functional disturbances. Neuropsychological assessment is mandatory to select the best individualized therapeutic management with preservation of quality of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Avenue Augustin Fliche, 34295, Montpellier, France

    Jérôme Cochereau, Guillaume Herbet & Hugues Duffau

  2. Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, INSERM U1051, Team “Plasticity of Central Nervous System, Human Stem Cells and Glial Tumors”, Saint Eloi Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Avenue Augustin Fliche, 34091, Montpellier, France

    Guillaume Herbet & Hugues Duffau

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  1. Jérôme Cochereau
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Correspondence to Hugues Duffau.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Cochereau, J., Herbet, G. & Duffau, H. Patients with incidental WHO grade II glioma frequently suffer from neuropsychological disturbances. Acta Neurochir 158, 305–312 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-015-2674-3

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