title: A dramatic loss of non-verbal intelligence following a right parietal ependymoma: brief case report.
abstract: Virtually all reports on the effects of focal brain lesions upon specific neuropsychological functions are based upon estimates of cognitive loss in persons following a lesion, without proof of premorbid capacity. This report presents the case of a 19-year-old left-handed male with assessment of Verbal and Performance I.Q. testing 1 year prior to a subsequent brain tumor for reasons unrelated to the neoplasm. The patient was then re-tested 23 months later, following the diagnosis and treatment of a supratentorial ependymoma in the right parietal region. His multi-modal treatment regimen included a partial surgical resection of the tumor, cranio-spinal irradiation with focal boost to the primary site, and chemotherapy. Results demonstrate a striking 58-point decline in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised (WAIS - R) Performance I. Q. with no significant change in Verbal I.Q. These findings clearly document the important cognitive functions associated with the right parietal lobe.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Van Gorp
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000601:surgery*; D014888:Wechsler Scales
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents