Younger age is a good predictor of better executive function after surgery for pituitary adenoma in adults

Abstract

Pituitary adenomas, even after successful treatment, are associated with cognitive dysfunctions. We hypothesized that an association between the age of the patients at pituitary surgery and neuropsychological outcome may exist. Forty-two patients (mean age 51 +/- 10 years) who had been successfully treated for pituitary adenoma (surgery with or without subsequent radiotherapy) underwent neuropsychological testing. Age at treatment (mean 37 +/- 11 years) was significantly associated with Trail Making Test, Part B (TMT-B) results, a measure of executive control and attention (r = .60, p < .0001). This association remained significant after adjustment for age at testing and time since treatment (r = .42, p = .008). No associations were detected between age at treatment and Trail Making Test, Part A (TMT-A, attentional speed), the digit span test (acoustic working memory), and the German version of the Auditory Verbal Learning and Memory, and Memory Test (verbal memory, all p > or = .3). Our data suggest a favorable effect of younger age at treatment in adults on neurocognitive outcome after surgery for pituitary adenoma.

Cognitive functioning in patients treated for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma and the effects of pituitary radiotherapy

“…This could be because of a more neuroplastic brain at younger age and special (vascular) vulnerability in the elderly patients. 30 In our study, the RT+ group was younger than the RT) group at pituitary surgery and as a result had a longer average time since surgery. However, both age at surgery and time since surgery or radiotherapy were not associated with cognitive functioning (data not shown).…”

“…Younger age at surgery could be a favourable recovery factor after brain surgery. This could be because of a more neuroplastic brain at younger age and special (vascular) vulnerability in the elderly patients 30 . In our study, the RT+ group was younger than the RT− group at pituitary surgery and as a result had a longer average time since surgery.…”

Executive functions recover earlier than episodic memory after microsurgical transsphenoidal resection of pituitary tumors in adult patients – a longitudinal study

“…4,6,7 Furthermore, younger age at surgery in patients with functioning or non-functioning adenomas is beneficial to a better neurocognitive outcome, but existing studies have investigated patients only once at a randomly chosen time. 8,9 To investigate whether cognitive function improves after surgical treatment, we performed a prospective longitudinal study comprising 106 patients with pituitary tumors. We also investigated whether there was an approximate temporal gradient for the observed improvement.…”

Deteriorated Executive Functions in Patients with Successful Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas Compared with Other Chronically Ill Patients

“…Thus, our data point to an impairment of cerebral networks necessary for certain aspects of executive function after surgery for pituitary adenomas. It is worth noting that these brain lesions may underlie recovery, given that we have recently shown that younger age is a good predictor of better executive function after surgery for pituitary adenoma in adults (Müssig et al, 2009).…”