Tumor-associated aphasia in left hemisphere primary brain tumors: the importance of age and tumor grade.
Although one-quarter of patients with primary brain tumors have language disturbances at the time of initial presentation, the factors contributing to their aphasia are not clear. A group of 32 patients with primary tumors of the left hemisphere was collected retrospectively and the relationship between clinical, radiographic, and pathologic factors and tumor-associated aphasia was examined. We assessed language function before beginning any treatment including steroids. The factor that best predicted language disturbance was greater patient age; the only other significant factor was tumor grade. Tumor size made a nearly significant impact, but tumor location within the left hemisphere did not correlate with aphasia.
Recht
L D
LD
Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01655.
McCarthy
K
K
O'Donnell
B F
BF
Cohen
R
R
Drachman
D A
DA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged