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Comparative Study
. 2025 Feb;14(4):e70721.
doi: 10.1002/cam4.70721.

Comparison of Subjective and Objective Cognitive Function and Emotional State in Supratentorial Brain Tumors Before Surgery-Recognizing the Influence of Laterality

Lisa Schock  1   2   3 , Karsten Wrede  1   2   3 , Neriman Oezkan  1   2   3 , Philipp Dammann  1   2   3 , Marvin Darkwah Oppong  1   2   3 , Oliver Gembruch  1   2   3 , Ramazan Jabbarli  1   2   3 , Ilonka Kreitschmann-Andermahr  1   2   3 , Sonja Siegel  1   2   3 , Anna Lena Friedel  2   4 , Adrian Engel  1   2   3 , Hanah Hadice Karadachi  1   2   3 , Lilith Philomena Laflör  1   2   3 , Ulrich Sure  1   2   3 , Yahya Ahmadipour  1   2   3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of Subjective and Objective Cognitive Function and Emotional State in Supratentorial Brain Tumors Before Surgery-Recognizing the Influence of Laterality

Lisa Schock et al. Cancer Med. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: Because of its high prognostic value, neuropsychological assessment plays a crucial role in the neuro-oncology setting. Subjective and objective cognitive performance correlate only to a limited extent, and subjective cognitive performance is strongly dependent on emotional state. We postulate that the relation of subjective and objective cognitive performance depends on tumor laterality.

Methods: In this prospective study, N = 63 patients with brain tumors underwent a neuropsychological test battery, including assessment of subjective cognitive function (attention, memory, executive), and symptoms of depression and anxiety before surgery. Patients with psychiatric comorbidity or severe neurological conditions were excluded.

Results: There were no significant differences in subjective and objective cognitive function, symptoms of depression and anxiety between left (N = 37) and right (N = 26) hemisphere tumors. All measures of subjective cognitive function correlated highly significantly with symptoms of depression and anxiety in left hemisphere tumor patients (all r ≥ 0.470). In right hemisphere tumor patients, there was no relation between subjective cognitive function and emotional state. Significant laterality differences for correlations of subjective and objective cognitive function were not found and were not significant within the two groups.

Conclusions: Even when unbiased by symptoms of anxiety and depression, right hemisphere tumor patients show the same discrepancy in subjective and objective cognitive function as left hemisphere tumor patients. This discrepancy may be based on a different mechanism in right hemisphere tumor patients.

Keywords: anxiety; brain tumor; depression; laterality; subjective cognitive function.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Median, 25th and 75th percentiles (upper and lower limit of error bars) of objective and subjective cognitive domains; higher percentiles indicate better function. The red line indicates the mean of the normal population; the dotted line indicates clinical relevant impairment. The dotted bars are the results of the subjective cognitive measures in the same color as the corresponding objective scores. Green: Attention, light blue: Memory, red: Executive function, dark blue: Global subjective cognitive function. * Significantly different from the normal population, p < 0.050.
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