Disruptive and protective outcomes to memory and attention when treating diffuse glioma

Abstract:

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study is to test brain tumour interactions with brain networks thereby identifying protective features and risk factors for memory recovery after surgical resection. Methods Seventeen patients with diffuse non-enhancing glioma (aged 22-56 years) were longitudinally MRI-scanned before and after surgery, and during a 12-months recovery period (47 MRI in total after exclusion). After each scanning session, a battery of memory tests was performed using a tablet-based screening tool, including free verbal memory, overall verbal memory, episodic memory, orientation, forward digit span and backwards digit span. Using structural MRI and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) derived from diffusion-weighted images, we respectively estimated lesion overlap and Neurite Density with brain networks derived from normative data in healthy participants (somato-motor, dorsal attention, ventral attention, fronto-parietal and Default Mode Network -DMN-). Linear Mixed Models (LMMs) that regressed out the effect of age, gender, tumour grade, type of treatment, total lesion volume and total neurite density were used to test the potential longitudinal associations between imaging markers and memory recovery. Results Memory recovery was not significantly associated with tumour location based on traditional lobe classification nor with the type of treatment received by patients ( i . e . surgery alone or surgery with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy). Non-local effects of tumours were evident on Neurite Density, which was reduced not only within the tumour, but also beyond the tumour boundary. In contrast, high preoperative Neurite Density outside the tumour, but within the DMN, was associated with better memory recovery (LMM, P fdr