Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026
Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy
Published on: October 4, 2019
Early cognitive function tests predict early progression in glioblastoma
Soon-Tae Lee1, Chul-Kee Park1, Jin Wook Kim1
1Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea (S.-T.L., H.L., J.-A.L., K.-M.L.); Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea (C.-K.P., J.W.K., M.-J.P.); Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea (S.H.C.); Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea (T.M.K., S.-H.L.); Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea (S.-H.P.); Department of Radiation Oncology,Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea (I.H.K.).
Background:
Early progression of glioblastoma prevents patients from completing the standard chemoradiation protocol. Given that cognitive function is associated with prognosis in glioblastoma, we investigated the usefulness of preoperative cognitive function tests for predicting the early progression of glioblastoma.
Methods:
Consecutive patients who underwent glioma surgery were preoperatively evaluated with cognitive function tests including the Mini Mental State Examination, digit span tests, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, the Trail Making Tests (TMT, parts A, B, and C), and the Stroop test. Glioblastomas were treated with a standard protocol using radiation and temozolomide, and 6-month progression-free survival (PFS-6) was analyzed retrospectively.
Results:
Among 126 patients who underwent glioma surgery, 55 patients were diagnosed with glioblastoma, and 50 patients were eligible for the PFS-6 analysis. Thirty-four patients (68%) achieved PFS-6. No significant differences were observed in demographics or tumor characteristics between patients without progression (PFS-6) or patients with progression (no-PFS-6). In the cognitive function tests, the PFS-6 patients exhibited better performance in TMT-A and TMT-B. In a multivariate logistic regression, TMT-B was the only independent predictor for PFS-6, whereas age, years of education, gross total or near total resection, concomitant chemoradiation, and TMT-A were not predictors. Patients with good TMT-B performance exhibited better early prognosis in the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and had better recursive partitioning analysis classes.
Conclusions:
Our results indicated that preoperative TMTs can be useful for rapid evaluation of early prognosis in patients with glioblastoma.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Pulmonary Function Tests
Pulmonary Function Tests are crucial diagnostic tools for assessing respiratory function, particularly in patients with chronic respiratory disorders. They comprehensively evaluate lung volumes, ventilatory function, breathing mechanics, diffusion, and gas exchange. These tests help diagnose pulmonary diseases and play a significant role in monitoring disease progression, evaluating disability, and assessing response to therapy.
PFTs involve using a spirometer, a...
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
02:27Predicting Molecular Geometry
01:24Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests
02:07Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
01:03Prediction Intervals
However, the point estimate is most likely not the exact value of the population parameter, but close to it. After calculating point estimates, we construct interval estimates, called confidence intervals or prediction intervals. This prediction interval comprises a range of values unlike the point estimate and is a better predictor of the observed sample value, y.