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The
effect of brain tumour laterality on anxiety levels among neurosurgical patients
Mainio A, Hakko H, Niemela A, Tuurinkoski T, Koivukangas J, Rasanen P
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Finland. Department
of Neurosurgery, Oulu University Hospital, Finland
Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of anxiety
in patients with a primary brain tumour and to analyse the effect of tumour
laterality and histology on the level of anxiety.
Recurrent measurements were assessed preoperatively, three months, and one year
after operation.
Methods.
The study population consisted of 101 patients with a primary brain tumour from
unselected and homogeneous population in northern Finland.
The patients were studied preoperatively with CT or MRI to determine the
location of the tumour.
The histology of the tumour was defined according to WHO classification.
The level of anxiety was obtained by Crown-Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI)
scale.
Results.
The patients with a tumour in the right hemisphere had statistically
significantly higher mean anxiety scores compared to the patients with a tumour
in the left hemisphere before surgery of the tumour.
By three months and by one year after surgical resection of the tumour, the
level of anxiety declined in patients with a tumour in the right
hemisphere.
A corresponding decline was not found in patients with a tumour in the left
hemisphere.
According to laterality by tumour histology, the level of anxiety decreased
significantly in male and female patients with a glioma in the right hemisphere,
but a corresponding decline was not significant in the female patients with a
meningioma in the right hemisphere.
Decreased level of anxiety was not found in patients with gliomas or meningiomas
in the left hemisphere by follow up measurements.
Conclusions.
Primary brain tumour in right hemisphere is associated with anxiety
symptoms.
The laterality of anxiety seems to reflect the differentiation of the two
hemispheres.
The level of anxiety declined after operation of right tumour, approaching that
of the general population.
The effect of right hemisphere gliomas on anxiety symptoms deserves special
attention in future research.
PMID: 12933936 [PubMed - in process]
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12933936&dopt=Abstract
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