title: Tumor-associated aphasia in left hemisphere primary brain tumors: the importance of age and tumor grade.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01655.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Recht
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Drachman
mesh_terms: 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