Variety of Neuropsychological Deficits and Clinical Rehabilitation Course After Surgical Removal of Cerebral Meningioma Under Neuropsychological Therapy

BACKGROUND: Meningiomas (MG) are the most common form of benign intracranial tumors. Neuropsychological deficits are often noticed preoperatively. After surgical removal, both improvements and persistent neuropsychological deficits have been reported. Here we present the neuropsychological characteristics of a larger patient group following acute treatment for meningioma. METHODS: This retrospective study is part of an overall project investigating the postoperative characteristics and rehabilitation outcomes of 151 patients following surgical removal of MG. Patients were recruited at the neurological department of m&i-Fachklinik Enzensberg between 2019 and 2024. In addition to demographic data and tumor characteristics, the neuropsychological reports were evaluated by two experienced (neuro)psychologists. RESULTS: 69 patients underwent standardized testing in the neuropsychology department and were thus included in the analysis. Upon admission, 52.2% of these patients exhibited attention deficits, 48% showed executive deficits, and 44% had memory impairments. No correlation was found between the extent of resection or the occurrence of complications during surgery and cognitive deficits. However, there was a trend showing that higher-grade tumors were more likely to cause cognitive impairment. The location of the tumor did not correlate with the impaired cognitive domains. At discharge, fewer patients exhibited attention deficits, and those that did had less severe symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Meningiomas are considered to be easily treatable. However, our data show that neuropsychological impairments frequently occur after acute treatment, which may not be given sufficient attention in practice. Even mild cognitive impairments can lead to problems in everyday life or at work. We therefore recommend detailed neuropsychological diagnosis and, if necessary, therapy for all patients after acute treatment.