Neurocognitive and psychological profiles in pediatric arachnoid cyst.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate whether intracranial arachnoid cysts (AC) compromise neurocognitive function and psychological profiles in pediatric patients, depending on various clinical factors.


METHODS
We assessed neurocognitive functions and psychological tests in 35 AC patients and 35 healthy control subjects between October 2007 and April 2008. AC patients ranged in age from 3 to 15 (7.94 +/- 3.12) years old and control patients from 5 to 13 (8.84 +/- 2.17) years old. The location of the AC were temporal (n = 22), frontal (n = 6), suprasellar (n = 4), and posterior fossa (n = 3). Patients underwent neurocognitive and psychological assessments before surgery. To investigate which AC impair neurocognitive function and psychological profile, we assessed intelligence, memory, attention, executive function, behavioral problems, emotional distress, and parenting stress.


RESULTS
AC caused some demonstrated impairment by both neurocognitive function and psychological assessments. Left hemisphere AC tended to have more anxiety; mood changes can be detected depending on cyst grade. An incidental finding of AC after trauma is more intelligent, well-reserved executive function. Frontal locations tended to cause more anxiety than temporal locations.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results imply that intracranial AC impairs some neurocognitive and psychological functions. An incidental finding of AC after trauma was a more intelligent, well-reserved executive function. AC in the left hemisphere, frontal location tended to cause more anxiety. The AC itself did not cause differences in neurocognitive function from the control group. However, parenting stress in the AC group was much higher than in the control group.
Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Severance Children's Hospital, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134, Shinchon-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea.
Young Seok
YS
Park
Soyong
S
Eom
Kyu-Won
KW
Shim
Dong-Seok
DS
Kim
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety; D001077:Aptitude Tests; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents; D010556:Personality Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological