QOL-16. GLIOBLASTOMAS LOCATED IN THE RIGHT INFERIOR PARIETAL LOBE CAUSE A POOR POSTOPERATIVE PERFORMANCE LEVEL

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE Managing quality of life has become more important for patients with glioblastoma (GBM). Maintaining independence levels should be given attention while treating GBM. Postoperatively, non-dominant hemispheric GBMs often decrease the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score. This study aimed to investigate the factors that lead to poor KPS scores after tumor resection in non-dominant hemispheric GBM. METHODS Forty-one patients newly diagnosed GBM in the right cerebral hemisphere who underwent resection were included. Brain functions were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively. First, the KPS scores before and after surgery were compared. Second, univariate and multiple regression analyses and voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) were performed to analyze the functions and brain regions related to KPS, respectively. Third, factors associated with prognosis were analyzed using the log-rank test. RESULTS Compared with the preoperative status, KPS significantly decreased after the surgery (81.0% vs. 73.6%, p = 0.020). Brain functions affecting KPS include general cognitive function, processing speed, attention, memory, visuospatial cognition, emotion recognition, and executive function. Among these, multiple regression analysis revealed visuospatial cognition and emotion recognition to be significantly influenced KPS in the chronic postoperative phase (p = 0.030 and 0.048, respectively). VLSM demonstrated that resection of the inferior parietal lobe caused a significant decline in KPS. Visuospatial cognition and emotion recognition were impaired with a higher probability (p = 0.035 and 0.048, respectively) in patients with tumors located in the inferior parietal lobe. In addition, lesions in the inferior parietal lobe were associated with shorter overall survival (p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS GBMs in the right inferior parietal lobe are more likely to result in poor postoperative KPS due to impairment of visuospatial cognition and emotion recognition, which relate to a poor prognosis.