title: Behavioral profile of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically review the literature on the neuropsychological, psychosocial, and functional profiles of patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review was limited to peer-reviewed research articles that reported cognitive, psychosocial, and/or functional profiles of patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Studies were identified through Medline and PsychINFO by searching "(unruptured [intracranial OR cerebral] aneurysm) AND (cogniti* OR neuropsycholog* OR anxiety OR depression OR [quality of life] OR work OR employment OR [activities of daily living] OR [instrumental activities of daily living])." Only articles that were published since January 1997 were considered. Reference lists of included articles were inspected for additional studies. Only articles in English were included. Case studies were excluded. Twenty-two articles were included in this review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The literature demonstrates that although treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms allays anxiety, it also results in an observable, though transient decline in cognition and daily functioning. Even before treatment, preliminary evidence hints that these patients are not free of such impairments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The algorithm that underlies the decision to treat an unruptured intracranial aneurysm ought to add more weight to the neuropsychological, psychosocial, and functional profiles of these patients. The clinical relevance of these patients does not begin and end with their risk of rupture.
authors.affiliation: The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bonares
authors.affiliation: Division of Interventional Radiology, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Trauma and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Division of Medical Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A Leonardo
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Manoel
authors.affiliation: The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R Loch
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.affiliation: The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Tom A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Schweizer