Survey on current cognitive practices within the European Low-Grade Glioma Network: towards a European assessment protocol

• DOI: 10.1007/s00701-017-3192-2
• Publication Date: 2017-05-04T03:13:11Z
• Authors: Adrià Rofes; Emmanuel Mandonnet; John Godden; Marie Hélène Baron; Henry Colle; Amelie Darlix; Vânia de Aguiar; Hugues Duffau; Guillaume Herbet; Martin Klein; Vincent Lubrano; Juan Martino; Ryan Mathew; Gabriele Miceli; Sylvie Moritz-Gasser; Johan Pallud; Costanza Papagno; Fabien Rech; Erik Robert; Geert-Jan Rutten; Thomas Santarius; Djaina Satoer; Joanna Sierpowska; Anja Smits; Miran Skrap; Giannantonio Spena; Evy Visch; Elke De Witte; Maria Zetterling; Michel Wager
• Keywords: [PHYS]Physics [physics]; Brain Neoplasms; EMC OR-01; Glioma; Assessment; Neurosurgical Procedures; [PHYS] Physics [physics]; 3. Good health; Europe; 03 medical and health sciences; Assessment; Cognition; Diffuse low-grade glioma; Protocol; Surgery; Survey; Surgery; Neurology (clinical); Cognition; Postoperative Complications; 0302 clinical medicine; Neurologie; Diffuse low-grade glioma; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Preoperative Period; Protocol; Humans; Surgery; Chirurgie; Survey

The European Low-Grade Glioma network indicated a need to better understand common practices regarding the managing of diffuse low-grade gliomas. This area has experienced great advances in recent years.A general survey on the managing of diffuse low-grade gliomas was answered by 21 centres in 11 European countries. Here we focused on specific questions regarding perioperative and intraoperative cognitive assessments.More centres referred to the same speech and language therapist and/or neuropsychologist across all assessments; a core of assessment tools was routinely used across centres; fluency tasks were commonly used in the perioperative stages, and object naming during surgery; tasks that tapped on attention, executive functions, visuospatial awareness, calculation and emotions were sparsely administered; preoperative assessments were performed 1 month or 1 week before surgery; timing for postoperative assessments varied; finally, more centres recommended early rehabilitation, whenever needed.There is an emerging trend towards following similar practices for the management of low-grade gliomas in Europe. Our results are descriptive and formalise current discussions in our group. Also, they contribute towards the development of a European assessment protocol.