[Preoperative and postoperative assessment of memory function for intracranial tumor patients].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the effects of intracranial tumors and tumor resection on patients' memory functions.


METHODS
Four different memory scales were employed to evaluate 58 intracranial tumor patients' memory functions including short-term memory, delayed memory, clue memory and long-term memory. Thirty-five patients received postoperative follow-ups. There were also 18 healthy controls.


RESULTS
The extra-cerebral tumor patients presented with delayed memory and long-term memory disorders while intra-cerebral tumor patients suffered from short-term, delayed and severe long-term memory disorders. Patients with dominant hemispheric tumors had more serious memory disorders in all types. Scores obtained after surgery showed an aggravated long-term memory disorder. Sellar region tumors and transsphenoidal tumor resection had no effects upon memory functions.


CONCLUSIONS
Intracranial tumors cause memory disorders. Tumors with different locations and characters have different memory impairments. Intra-cerebral tumors result in more severe memory impairment than extra-cerebral tumors. And dominant hemispheric tumors are worse than non-dominant hemispheric tumors. Tumor resection decreases long-term memory functions.
Shen
Chao
C
Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Huashan Hospital, Shanghai 200040, China.
Xie
Rong
R
Bao
Wei-min
WM
Guo
Qi-hao
QH
Yu
Guo
G
Cao
Xiao-yun
XY
Yang
Bo-jie
BJ
Mao
Ying
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult