title: Predictors of health-related quality of life in neurosurgical brain tumor patients: focus on patient-centered perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In brain tumor (BT) patients, the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological characteristics remains largely unknown. We evaluated the association of personality traits, clinical factors, psychological distress symptoms, and cognitive state with HRQoL in BT patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  On admission for BT surgery, 200 patients (69 % women; age 55.8 ± 14.5 years) were evaluated for HRQoL (SF-36 scale), Big-Five personality traits (Ten-Item Personality Inventory), psychological distress symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or HADS), cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination or MMSE) and clinical characteristics, including functional status (Barthel index or BI). The most common BT diagnoses were meningioma (39 %) and high-grade glioma (18 %).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only factors significantly associated with SF-36 domains in univariable regression analyses were included in their respective multivariable models and predicted from 6 %-49 % of the total variance of SF-36 scores. Greater TIPI emotional stability score was independently associated with greater SF-36 emotional well-being (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) and general health (β = 0.18, p = 0.01) scores, and greater TIPI consciousness score, with greater SF-36 emotional well-being score (β = 0.13, p = 0.02). HADS-anxiety and HADS-depression scores were the strongest independent determinants of all, except physical functioning, SF-36 scores (β-values range from 0.14 to 0.56; p values ≤ 0.03). BI score was the strongest independent determinant of SF-36 physical functioning score (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). MMSE score was associated with all but emotional well-being and social functioning SF-36 scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consciousness and emotional stability should be considered important personality-related determinants of HRQoL in BT patients. Psychological distress, functional disability, and cognitive impairment are also important predictors of HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Research, Institute of Neurosciences, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania, a.bunevicius@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adomas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bunevicius
authors.forename: Sarunas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamasauskas
authors.forename: Vytenis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deltuva
authors.forename: Arimantas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamasauskas
authors.forename: Andrius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radziunas
authors.forename: Robertas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bunevicius
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires