title: Neurocognitive training in patients with high-grade glioma: a pilot study.
abstract: Although their neurocognitive performance is one of the major concerns of patients with high-grade gliomas (HGG) and although neurocognitive deficits have been described to be associated with negative outcome, neurocognitive rehabilitation is usually not integrated into the routine care of patients with malignant gliomas. In this pilot trial, a weekly group training session for attention, verbal, and memory skills was offered to patients with HGG with pre and post-training evaluation. Eleven patients, six with glioblastoma multiforme and five with WHO grade III gliomas, median age 50 years, with a Karnofsky performance score of 80-100 participated in ten group training sessions of 90 min. For evaluation at baseline and after the training by a neuropsychologist not involved in care or training of the patients, Trail Making Tests A and B (TMTA and TMTB), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA) were used. Comparison of mean group differences between baseline and at post-training evaluation after 12 weeks revealed improvement across all neurocognitive variables. The patients showed a great diversity in their performances, with worsening, improvement, and stabilization. However, a significant group difference was detected only for the HVLT (score 19.6 +/- 8.9 at baseline, 23.6 +/- 8.8 after 12 weeks, P = 0.04). This pilot study shows that neurocognitive training in patients with HGG is feasible as group training with weekly sessions and might be able to induce improvements in attention and memory skills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Marco Ronald
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hassler
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elandt
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preusser
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lehrner
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dieckmann
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rottenfusser
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000150:complications*; D005910:Glioma / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult