Leijzer, Miriam (2022) Subjective complaints in patients with lower-grade glioma: Relationships with tumor characteristics and life satisfaction. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Objective: The author’s objective was to investigate tumor-related risk factors for depressive complaints, anxiety, fatigue, and cognitive complaints in lower-grade glioma (LGG) patients with relatively favorable prognosis. In addition, relationships between these complaints and life satisfaction, a meaningful part of quality of life (QoL), were examined. Method: Post- craniotomy and at the start of proton therapy, LGG patients filled in questionnaires measuring depressive complaints and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), mental and physical fatigue (Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale), cognitive complaints (Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome – Dysexecutive Questionnaire; Patient Competency Rating Scale) and life satisfaction (Quality of Life after Brain Injury). Tumor volume, laterality, and location were determined by means of a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Tumor grade was determined by means of a biopsy. Spearman correlations were computed, and between-group comparisons were performed. Results: Frequencies of complaints were 43.3% for mental fatigue, 25.0% for physical fatigue, 20.8% for depressive complaints, 2.5-14.2% for cognition and 10.8% for anxiety. All subjective complaints were significantly interrelated. Patients with relatively large LGG had significantly more complaints of physical fatigue and cognition compared to patients with relatively small LGG. Tumor laterality, whether the tumor was frontally located, and grade according to the World Health Organization 2007 classification system were not significantly associated with subjective complaints. Higher rates of fatigue, cognitive complaints and anxiety were significantly related to lower life satisfaction. Discussion: In conclusion, considering relatively high rates of especially fatigue and depression, all LGG patients should be screened for at least these complaints possibly reducing QoL. Patients with relatively large tumors should be screened for all subjective complaints. If desired, suffering patients should receive adequate treatment to improve QoL. Future research should investigate additional risk factors and the course of complaints. Thus, patients at-risk can be identified early, monitored and treated, hopefully contributing to higher QoL.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Buunk, A.M. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Jul 2022 12:31 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jul 2022 12:31 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1205 |
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