title: Neuropsychological changes and cranioplasty: A group analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cranioplasty is the surgical answer to cranial defect due to decompressive craniectomy in order to increase patient's safety and for cosmetic reasons. Two main neurological sequelae of skull breaches have been described and cranioplasty has been suggested as a way to treat these neurological symptoms, but its effects on cognitive and motor functions are still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to better elucidate if and to what extent the cranioplasty affects the whole array of cognitive functions or just some specific domains, 29 patients were studied pre- and post-cranioplasty, with structured assessments of memory, attention, language and executive functioning performed ~ 4 months and 1 month before cranioplasty and 1 month and 6 months after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cranioplasty affects the cognitive profile with a non-specific pattern of change. Timing of the cranioplasty plays a key role to enucleate cognitive improvement, indeed greater cognitive changes were seen in patients who had cranioplasty within 6 months following the injury. Thus, cranioplasty must be considered a key factor in neuropsychological recovery and should be performed as soon as possible following the injury in order to take advantage of the window of opportunity for rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: a Centro Studi per la Ricerca sul Coma , Bologna , Italia.|b Casa dei Risvegli Luca De Nigris , Dipartimento Emergenza , Ausl , Bologna , Italia.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Stefano
authors.affiliation: c Istituto di Riabilitazione Santo Stefano, Porto Potenza Picena , Macerata , Italia.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rinaldesi
authors.affiliation: c Istituto di Riabilitazione Santo Stefano, Porto Potenza Picena , Macerata , Italia.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quinquinio
authors.affiliation: c Istituto di Riabilitazione Santo Stefano, Porto Potenza Picena , Macerata , Italia.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ridolfi
authors.affiliation: c Istituto di Riabilitazione Santo Stefano, Porto Potenza Picena , Macerata , Italia.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallasciani
authors.affiliation: d Unità Operativa Neurochirurgia, IRCCS , Ausl Bologna , Italia.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sturiale
authors.affiliation: a Centro Studi per la Ricerca sul Coma , Bologna , Italia.|b Casa dei Risvegli Luca De Nigris , Dipartimento Emergenza , Ausl , Bologna , Italia.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piperno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D056424:Decompressive Craniectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012886:Skull / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Clinical improvement; Cognitive changes; Cranioplasty; Decompressive craniectomy; Neuropsychological improvement