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Neuropsychological Evaluation of Patients with Intrinsic Brain Tumors

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Epilepsy Surgery and Intrinsic Brain Tumor Surgery

Abstract

This chapter begins with a discussion of the primary purposes of neuropsychological assessment in patients with intrinsic brain tumors and is followed by an overview of the most important tumor characteristics as well as patient status factors that need to be considered when using neuropsychological tests to assess these patients. The cognitive domains that comprise a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests are reviewed, along with some representative tests from each domain. In addition, personality testing, assessment of mood, and measures of health-related quality of life designed specifically for patients with brain cancer are briefly covered. Next, a short, standardized battery of neuropsychological tests that have been used internationally in multisite brain cancer clinical trials is described. The chapter concludes with a summary of the salient results of neuropsychological assessments before and after treatment with resective surgery, cranial irradiation, and chemotherapy and the primary cognitive deficits associated with each of these treatment modalities. Finally, there is a brief discussion weighing the clinical decision making trade-offs using health utility measures when there are conflicts between the quantity (survival) and quality (cognition and quality of life).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA

    Cristina Ramirez-Aubone

  2. Department of Neuropsychology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Gregory P. Lee

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  1. Cristina Ramirez-Aubone
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  2. Gregory P. Lee
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Correspondence to Gregory P. Lee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical School, University Hospital of Larisa Medical School, University of Thessaly, Biopolis, Larisa, Greece

    Konstantinos Fountas

  2. School of Medicine, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, Biopolis, Larisa, Greece

    Eftychia Z. Kapsalaki

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Ramirez-Aubone, C., Lee, G.P. (2019). Neuropsychological Evaluation of Patients with Intrinsic Brain Tumors . In: Fountas, K., Kapsalaki, E. (eds) Epilepsy Surgery and Intrinsic Brain Tumor Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95918-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95918-4_7

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