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Cognitive
deficits in adult patients with brain tumours
Taphoorn MJ, Klein M
Department
of Neurology, Medical Centre Haaglanden and Department of Neurology, University
Medical Centre Utrecht, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Cognitive function, with survival and response on brain imaging, is increasingly
regarded as an important outcome measure in patients with brain tumours.
This measure provides us with information on a patient's clinical situation and
adverse treatment effects.
Radiotherapy has been regarded as the main cause of cognitive decline in these
patients, because children with brain tumours can develop intellectual
deterioration caused by radiotherapy.
In long-term surviving patients, radiotherapy may indeed lead to cognitive
deficits, or even dementia.
Recent studies, however, have made clear that focal radiotherapy in patients
with glioma is not the main reason for cognitive deficits.
The tumour itself and other medical treatments contribute largely to the
cognitive deficits.
Cognitive function is now also recognised as an independent prognostic factor in
the survival of glioma patients.
Additionally, cognitive deterioration can be the first indicator of progressive
disease after treatment.
PMID: 14980531 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14980531&dopt=Abstract
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