# Tumor location and neurocognitive function—Unravelling the association and identifying relevant anatomical substrates in intra-axial brain tumors

## TL;DR

This study explores how brain tumor locations affect cognitive functions like memory and language, identifying key brain regions involved.

## Contribution

The study identifies anatomical substrates in the brain associated with neurocognitive dysfunction in glioma patients using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping.

## Key findings

- Neurocognition was affected in 93% of glioma patients, with attention, executive function, and memory being most impacted.
- Left-sided perisylvian white matter tracts were commonly associated with deficits in multiple cognitive domains.
- Visuospatial dysfunction was linked to right perisylvian cortical lesions, while visuomotor speed deficits were tied to primary visual and motor pathways.

## Abstract

Neurocognitive function is a key outcome indicator of therapy in brain tumors. Understanding the underlying anatomical substrates involved in domain function and the pathophysiological basis of dysfunction can help ameliorate the effects of therapy and tailor directed rehabilitative strategies.

Hundred adult diffuse gliomas were co-registered onto a common demographic-specific brain template to create tumor localization maps. Voxel-based lesion symptom (VLSM) technique was used to assign an association between individual voxels and neuropsychological dysfunction in various domains (attention and executive function (A & EF), language, memory, visuospatial/constructive abilities, and visuomotor speed). The probability maps thus generated were further co-registered to cortical and subcortical atlases. A permutation-based statistical testing method was used to evaluate the statistically and clinically significant anatomical parcels associated with domain dysfunction and to create heat maps.

Neurocognition was affected in a high proportion of subjects (93%), with A & EF and memory being the most affected domains. Left-sided networks were implicated in patients with A & EF, memory, and language deficits with the perisylvian white matter tracts being the most common across domains. Visuospatial dysfunction was associated with lesions involving the right perisylvian cortical regions, whereas deficits in visuomotor speed were associated with lesions involving primary visual and motor output pathways.

Significant baseline neurocognitive deficits are prevalent in gliomas. These are multidomain and the perisylvian network especially on the left side seems to be very important, being implicated in dysfunction of many domains.