Changes in Cognitive Functioning After Surgical Resection of Language-related, Eloquent-area, High-grade Gliomas Under Awake Craniotomy

Background: Dominant-hemisphere tumors, especially gliomas, as infiltrative tumors, frequently affect cognitive functioning. Establishing a balance between extensive resection, which is proven to result in longer survival, and less extensive resection, in order to maintain more cognitive abilities, is challenging. Objective: To evaluate changes in cognitive functioning before and after surgical resection of language-related, eloquent-area, high-grade gliomas under awake craniotomy. Method: We provided individuals with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas of the language-related eloquent areas with the same standard of care, including surgical resection of the glioma using intraoperative sensory-motor and cognitive mapping under awake craniotomy, and the same protocol for chemoradiotherapy. Cognitive functioning was assessed using Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination—Revised (ACE–R) at four time points (preoperatively, early after surgery, and 3 and 6 months postoperatively). Results: The preoperative evaluation revealed a range of cognitive impairments in 70.7% of the individuals, affecting all of the cognitive subdomains (mostly attention and visuospatial abilities). Overall cognitive functioning (ie, ACE–R score) dropped by 13.5% (P = 0.169) early postoperatively. At the 3-month evaluation, an average of 15.3% (P = 0.182) recovery in cognitive functioning was observed (mostly in verbal fluency: 39.1%). This recovery improved further, reaching 29% (P < 0.001) at the 6-month evaluation. The greatest improvement occurred in verbal fluency: 68.8%, P = 0.001. Conclusion: Extensive resection of eloquent-area gliomas with the aid of modern neuroimaging and neuromonitoring techniques under awake craniotomy is possible without significant long-term cognitive sequela.