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Predictors of health-related quality of life in neurosurgical brain tumor patients: focus on patient-centered perspective

  • Clinical Article - Brain Tumors
  • Published:
Acta Neurochirurgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

In brain tumor (BT) patients, the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological characteristics remains largely unknown. We evaluated the association of personality traits, clinical factors, psychological distress symptoms, and cognitive state with HRQoL in BT patients.

Methods

On admission for BT surgery, 200 patients (69 % women; age 55.8 ± 14.5 years) were evaluated for HRQoL (SF-36 scale), Big-Five personality traits (Ten-Item Personality Inventory), psychological distress symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or HADS), cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination or MMSE) and clinical characteristics, including functional status (Barthel index or BI). The most common BT diagnoses were meningioma (39 %) and high-grade glioma (18 %).

Results

Only factors significantly associated with SF-36 domains in univariable regression analyses were included in their respective multivariable models and predicted from 6 %–49 % of the total variance of SF-36 scores. Greater TIPI emotional stability score was independently associated with greater SF-36 emotional well-being (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) and general health (β = 0.18, p = 0.01) scores, and greater TIPI consciousness score, with greater SF-36 emotional well-being score (β = 0.13, p = 0.02). HADS-anxiety and HADS-depression scores were the strongest independent determinants of all, except physical functioning, SF-36 scores (β-values range from 0.14 to 0.56; p values ≤ 0.03). BI score was the strongest independent determinant of SF-36 physical functioning score (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). MMSE score was associated with all but emotional well-being and social functioning SF-36 scores.

Conclusions

Consciousness and emotional stability should be considered important personality-related determinants of HRQoL in BT patients. Psychological distress, functional disability, and cognitive impairment are also important predictors of HRQoL.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (Grant number: MIP-10315).

Conference presentation

Preliminary results of this study were presented at the Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, USA, October 6–10, 2012.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Clinical Research, Institute of Neurosciences, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Adomas Bunevicius & Andrius Radziunas

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu g. 2, 50009, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Adomas Bunevicius, Sarunas Tamasauskas, Vytenis Deltuva, Arimantas Tamasauskas & Andrius Radziunas

  3. Laboratory of Neurooncology, Institute of Neurosciences, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Vytenis Deltuva & Arimantas Tamasauskas

  4. Behavioral Medicine Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Palanga, Lithuania

    Robertas Bunevicius

Authors
  1. Adomas Bunevicius
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  2. Sarunas Tamasauskas
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Correspondence to Adomas Bunevicius.

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Bunevicius, A., Tamasauskas, S., Deltuva, V. et al. Predictors of health-related quality of life in neurosurgical brain tumor patients: focus on patient-centered perspective. Acta Neurochir 156, 367–374 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-013-1930-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-013-1930-7

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