Abstract
Knowledge about the neuropsychological performance of adult patients with brain tumors, and especially with malignant gliomas, is limited. In this study 30 patients were consecutively included at time of diagnosis. Five months after completion of radiotherapy eleven of the patients showed no signs of focal neurology or tumor recurrence. These eleven patients, and their partners, were interviewed independently. Using each partner as control the patients were assessed neuropsychologically with special emphasis on memory abilities. The selective reminding technique was used with nouns of different visual imagery. A consistent pattern was found: there was no clear impairment in global intellectual abilities, but there was a pronounced deficit in long-term memory. However, the patients had a preserved capacity to use visual imagery to boost performance. It is important that medical staff acknowledge or confirm this problem. The sparing of imaginai coding makes it possible for the staff to assist with advice facilitating memory. Memory is a vital cognitive ability and the selective reminding technique was a sensitive method capable of detecting subtle impairments. The technique is recommended in future examinations of conditions and evaluations of treatments affecting the CNS.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Salcman M, Scholz H, Kaplan RS, Kulik S: Long term survival in patients with malignant astrocytoma. Neurosurgery 34: 213–220, 1994
Chouchair AK: Proposals for evaluation of toxic effects associated with treatment of gliomas: a call for action. J Natl Canc Inst 82: 531–532, 1990
Snijders-Keilholz A, Voormolen JHC, Hermans J, Padberg GW, Develaar J, Leer JWH: Should all patients with malignant astrocytoma have postoperative radiotherapy? Acta Neurochir 108: 15–21, 1991
DeAngelis LM, Delattre JY, Posner JB: Radiation-induced dementia in patients cured of brain metastasis. Neurology 39: 789–796, 1989
Sheline GE, Wara WM, Smith V: Therapeutic irradiation and brain injury. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 6: 1215–1228, 1980
Imperato JP, Paleologos NA, Vick NA: Effects of treatment on long-term survivors with malignant astrocytomas. Ann Neurol 28: 818–822, 1990
Mulhern KR, Ochs J, Kun LE: Changes in intellect associated with cranial radiation therapy. In: Gutin PH, Leibel SA, Sheline GE (eds) Radiation Injury to the Nervous System. Ravens Press, New York, 1991, pp 325–340
Hochberg FH, Slotnick B: Neuropsychologic impairment in astrocytoma survivors. Neurology 30: 172–177, 1980
Maire JPh, Coudin B, Guerin J, Caudry M: Neuropsychologic impairment in adults with brain tumors. Am J Clin Oncol 10: 156–162, 1987
Awwad S, Cull A, Gregor A: Long-term survival in adult hemispheric glioma prognostic factors and quality of outcome. Clin Oncol 2: 343–346, 1990
Taphoorn MJB, Heimans JJ, Snoek FJ, Lindeboom J, Oosterink B, Wolbers JG, Karim ABMF: Assessment of quality of life in patients treated for low-grade glioma: a preliminary report. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 55: 372–376, 1992
Archibald YM, Lunn D, Ruttan LA, Macdonald DR, Del Maestro RF, Barr HWK, Pexman JHW, Fischer BJ, Gaspar LE, Cairncross JG: Cognitive functioning in long-term survivors of high-grade glioma. J Neurosurg 80: 247–253, 1994
Ebmaier KP, Booker K, Cull A, Gregor A, Goodwin GM, O'Carroll RE: The validity of the national adult reading test in estimating premorbid intellectual ability in long-term survivors of hemispheric glioma and whole brain irradiation — a pilot study. Psycho-Oncology 2: 133–139, 1993
Williams M, Pennybacker J: Memory disturbances in third ventricle tumours. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 17: 115–123, 1954
Johnson BE, Becker B, Goff WG, Petronas N, Krehbiel MA, Makuch RW, McKenna G, Glatstein E, Ihde DI: Neurologic, neuropsychologic, and computer cranial tomography scan abnormalities in 2- to 10-year survivors of small cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 3: 1659–1667, 1985
Armstrong C, Mollman J, Corn BW, Alavi J, Grossman M: Effects of radiation therapy on adult brain behavior: Evidence for a rebound phenomenon in a phase 1 trial. Neurology 43: 1961–1965, 1993
Kleinberg L, Wallner K, Malkin MG: Good performance status of long-term disease free survivors of intracranial gliomas. Int J Oncol Biol Phys 26: 129–133, 1992
Baddely A, Harris J, Sunderland A, Watts KP, Wilson BA: Closed Head Injury and Memory. In: Levin HS (ed) Neurobehavioural Recovery from Head Injury. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1987, pp 295–317
Paivio A; Mental Representations. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1986
Richardson JTE: Mental imagery, human memory, and the effects of closed head injury. Bri J Soc Clin Psychol 18: 319–327, 1978
Baddely AD: Working Memory. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1986
Molloy DW, Alemayehu E, Roberts R: Reliability of a standardized mini-mental state examination. Am J Psychiatry 148: 102–105, 1991
Molander B: Imagery, visual and tactual dimensions of imagery, and meaningfulness: Swedish norms for 850 nouns. Department of Psychology, Umea University, 1984
Buschke H: Selective reminding for analysis of memory and learning. J Verb Learn Verb Behav 12: 543–550, 1973
Levin HS: Learning and memory. In: Hannay HJ (ed) Experimental Techniques in Human Neuropsychology. Oxford University Press, New York, 1986, pp 309–362
Bartfai A, Stegmann B, Nyman H: A preliminary Swedish version of the WAIS-R. Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, 1986
Lezak MD: Neuropsychological Assessment. Oxford University Press, New York 1983
Christensen A-L: Luria's neuropsychological investigation. Text. Munksgaard, Copenhagen 1974
Heaton RK: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Manual. Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, 1981
Raven JC, Court JH, Raven J: Manual for Raven's progressive matrices and vocabulary scales. HK Lewis, London, 1977
Homn J, Reitan RM: Neuropsychological correlates of rapid vs. slowly growing intrinsic cerebral neoplasms. J Clin Neuropsychol 6: 309–324, 1984
Lilja A, Hagstadius S, Risberg J, Salford LG, Smith GJW, Öhman R: Frontal lobe dynamics in brain tumor patients: a study of regional cerebral blood flow and affective changes before and after surgery. Neuropsych, Neuropsychol Behav Neurol 4: 294–300, 1992
Tulving E, Kapur S, Craik FIM, Moscovitch M, Houle S: Hemispheric encoding/retrieval asymmetry in episodic memory: positron emission tomography findings. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91: 2016–2020, 1994
Taphoorn MJB, Schiphorst AK, Snoek FJ, Lindeboom J, Wolbers JG, Karim ABMF, Huijgens PC, Heimans JJ: Cognitive functions and quality of life in patients with low-grade gliomas: the impact of radiotherapy. Ann Neur 36: 48–54, 1994
Kaszniak AW, Wilson RS, Fox JH: Effects of imagery and meaningfulness on free recall and recognition memory in presenile and senile dementia. Int J Neurosci 12: 264, 1981
Hart RP, Kwentus JA, Taylor JR, Hamer RM: Selective reminding procedure in depression and dementia. Psychol Aging 2: 111–115, 1987
Weingartner H, Caine ED, Ebert MH: Imagery, encoding and retrieval of information from memory: some specific encoding-retrieval changes in Huntington's disease. J Abnorm Psychol 88: 52–58, 1979
Breetvelt IS, Van Damm FSAM: Underreporting by cancer patients: the case of response-shift. Soc Sci Med 32: 981–987, 1991
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Salander, P., Karlsson, T., Bergenheim, T. et al. Long-term memory deficits in patients with malignant gliomas. J Neuro-Oncol 25, 227–238 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01053156
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01053156