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. 2025 Jun;173(2):383-395.
doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-04996-0. Epub 2025 Apr 10.

Use of psychotropic medications among glioma patients in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Wales

Sarah M Baxter  1 , Tone Bjørge  2   3 , Rolf Bjerkvig  4 , Christopher Cardwell  1 , Anders Engeland  2   5 , Julia Eriksson  6 , Laurel Habel  7 , Jannicke Igland  2   8 , Kari Klungsøyr  2   9 , Astrid Lunde  2 , Hrvoje Miletic  4 , Morten Olesen  10 , Anton Pottegård  10 , Johan Reutfors  6 , Mohammad Jalil Sharifian  2 , Marie Linder  6 , Blánaid Hicks  11   12
Affiliations

Use of psychotropic medications among glioma patients in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Wales

Sarah M Baxter et al. J Neurooncol. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: Glioma patients often suffer from psychiatric and neurological conditions. However, little is known about the patterns of use of psychotropic drugs pre- and post-glioma diagnosis. Therefore, we assessed temporal patterns of psychotropic prescriptions among glioma patients, compared to an age and sex matched comparison cohort in four European countries.

Methods: Incident gliomas were identified in Wales from the Secured Anonymized Information Linkage Databank (2005-2016) and population-based registries in Denmark (2001-2016), Norway (2006-2019), and Sweden (2008-2018). From each data source, a cancer-free comparison cohort was matched to the glioma cases by age and sex. We calculated rates of new psychotropic prescriptions and any psychotropic prescriptions during the 2 years prior to and post glioma diagnosis. Analyses were stratified by histological subtypes and subclasses of psychotropic medications.

Results: We identified 16,007 glioma patients. The rate of new psychotropic drug use increased from 7 months before diagnosis, peaking around the month of glioma diagnosis (with peak rates ranging from 227 to 753 new psychotropic drugs per 1000 person-months). New use remained substantially higher among glioma patients than comparators throughout the 2-year follow-up period after glioma diagnosis, though rates of new use continued to decline throughout. New use was largely driven by antiepileptics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and sedatives. Patterns were similar when analyses were stratified by histological subtype.

Conclusion: Psychotropic drug use among glioma patients was high, and elevations observed around the time of cancer diagnosis, largely driven by antiepileptics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and sedatives, are likely associated with the consequences of the disease.

Keywords: Anticonvulsants; Brain tumor; Glioma; Hypnotics; Psychotropics.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflicts of interest: AP reports participation in research projects funded by Alcon, Almirall, Astellas, Astrazeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, Servier, and LEO Pharma, all regulator-mandated phase IV-studies, all with funds paid to the institution where he was employed (no personal fees) and with no relation to the work reported in this paper. ML, JE and JR report participation in research projects funded by Janssen, Swedish Orphan BioVitrum (SOBI), Bayer, Novartis, AbbVie, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, all with funds paid to the institution where they were employed (no personal fees) and with no relation to the work reported in this paper. JI reports participation in regulator-mandated post-authorisation safety studies (PASS) funded by Sanofi, Pfizer and Novartis, all with funds paid to the institution where she was employed (no personal fees). AL reports participation in PASS funded by Amgen, Sanofi, Pfizer and Novartis, all with funds paid to the institution where she was employed (no personal fees)]. Ethical approval: Approval was obtained for each of the individual datasets from: the Information Governance Review Panel (Wales), the Danish Data Protection Agency, the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (2018/2125/REK vest) (Norway), and the Swedish Ethical Authority, Statistics Sweden and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare].

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Rates of new psychotropic prescriptions in 1-month intervals before and after the month of glioma diagnosis among glioma patients and the comparison cohort matched on age, sex and year coverage began by study site
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rates of new prescriptions in 1-month intervals before and after month of glioma diagnosis among glioma patients and the comparison cohort matched on age, sex and year coverage began by psychotropic drug class and study site. Note different y axis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rates of new prescriptions in 1-month intervals before and after month of glioma diagnosis among glioma patients and the comparison cohort matched on age, sex and year coverage began by psychotropic drug class and study site. Note different y axis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rates of new prescriptions in 1-month intervals before and after month of glioma diagnosis among glioma patients and the comparison cohort matched on age, sex and year coverage began by psychotropic drug class and study site. Note different y axis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rates of new prescriptions in 1-month intervals before and after month of glioma diagnosis among glioma patients and the comparison cohort matched on age, sex and year coverage began by psychotropic drug class and study site. Note different y axis
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