EP17.02 EFFECT OF RADIOTERAPY ON PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN BRAIN TUMORS: PRELIMINARY REPORTS.

Abstract BACKGROUND Radiotherapy might trigger mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders, on the other hand,radiotherapy-related factors can confer resilience against psychopathology. Nevertheless, the behavioral consequences of radiotherapy in brain tumors are poorly investigated. Aims: To investigate the characteristics of subjects with brain tumors and compared them to those related tosubjects who already terminated radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty subjects with brain tumors who were undergoing radiotherapy (RAD+) and 20 subjects that concluded radiotherapy (RAD-) underwent a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation including depressive, anxious and manic symptoms, suicidal ideation, agitation, impulsivity, resilience, pain perception. Comparisons between RAD+ and RAD- included socio-demographical and clinical characteristics and psychiatric ratingscales. Chi square tests and Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparisons. RESULTS Subjects did not differ in gender, age, education, type and severity of brain tumor, type of psychiatric diagnosis and number of medications assumed. RAD+ and RAD- did not differ in term of depressive symptoms. RAD+ showed lower levels of anxiety, agitation, impulsivity and suicidal ideation than RAD-. Limitations: The small sample size and the heterogeneity of brain tumors investigated hampered the generalizability of the results Conclusion: Radiotherapy might represent a protective factor against development of psychopathology insubjects with brain tumors. Such protective factor might surge for the effect of chemotherapy-related setting perse or be a direct consequence of possible direct effect of the treatment.