Effect of 6-Methylprednisolone on the Brain Function in Patients with Solitary Circumscribed Supratentorial Tumors

Abstract

The use of corticosteroids has been accepted a beneficial adjunct for the management of brain tumors since their introduction in clinical practice by KOFMAN et al. (1957), GALICICH et al. (1961), and RASMUSSEN et al. (1962). Methylprednisolone (MP) has been noted to have different effects pharmacologically when compared to dexamethasone (DM), for instance no sodium retention or edema at pharmacological doses, short adrenal suppressive activity, and higher inhibition of glial tumors (6, 8, 10, 19). Although there seems to be some good qualities of MP most of the clinical studies report on the effects of DM during the last years (4, 11, 15). Our study is based on the experience of LIEBERMAN et al. (1977) with high dose MP in patients with inoperable brain tumors on the one hand and on the EEG findings under steroids in experimental brain edema of PAPPIUS (1972) and JAMES (1978) on the other. Clinical observations and experimental studies suggest that the effects of steroids seen clinically in brain tumors can not be explained by their effect on cerebral edema alone but on central pharmacological effects. The latter mechanism remains unclear. As the functional state of the brain can be estimated by EEG recordings (3 5 7, 12, 16) central pharmacological effects can be demonstrated by common and computerized EEG analysis (2, 13).