title: Long-term impact of cognitive deficits and epilepsy on quality of life in patients with low-grade meningiomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  WHO Grade I meningiomas are common, usually benign, primary brain tumors. Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with meningiomas.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the long-term HRQOL in patients with meningiomas and its association with cognitive deficits and epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  HRQOL was assessed by the Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) in 89 patients with WHO Grade I meningiomas at least 1 year following neurosurgery with or without radiotherapy. Cognitive functioning was measured by a neuropsychological test battery, and epileptic seizure frequency and antiepileptic drug (AED) use were determined for each patient. HRQOL of patients was compared to that of 89 healthy controls individually matched for age, sex, and educational level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a group, patients with meningiomas did not differ from healthy controls on 7 out of 8 SF-36 scales; the only difference was that patients reported more role limitations caused by physical problems (P < .05). Patients with meningiomas had significant impairment in 4 of 6 cognitive domains, most pronounced in the domain of executive functioning. Both impaired cognitive functioning and AED use were associated with a compromised HRQOL. Of the 23 patients using AEDs, HRQOL was significantly impaired on 5 out of 8 SF-36 scales. In patients using AED, neither cognitive functioning nor HRQOL differed between those with and those without seizure control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HRQOL of most patients with WHO Grade I meningiomas is comparable to that of the general population. However, HRQOL is worse in patients with major cognitive deficits and those using AEDs, irrespective of seizure control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martin L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Waagemans
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Nieuwenhuizen
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wumkes
authors.forename: Clemens M F
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Dirven
authors.forename: Sieger
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leenstra
authors.forename: Jaap C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reijneveld
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Lukas J A
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Stalpers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008579:Meningioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants