Impact of cerebellar tumors and surgery on cognitive function in adult patients

Abstract Background The cognitive dysfunction associated with cerebellar tumors in adults is not well understood. We herein evaluated the effect of cerebellar tumors and surgery on cognitive function in adult patients before and after resection. Methods Eighteen patients who underwent resection of a cerebellar tumor at the study center between 2016 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Their clinical characteristics, surgical complications, and neuropsychological test scores were thoroughly reviewed. Results Of the 18 patients, nine were male, and the median age at surgery was 73 years. A high tumor volume (> 10 cm3) was associated with significantly low preoperative cognitive function scores on the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) (P = 0.024), the copying task on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (P = 0.020), and the verbal sequential commands on the Standard Language Test of Aphasia (SLTA) (P = 0.030). The preoperative scores for the verbal sequential commands on the SLTA improved postoperatively in patients with a high tumor volume (P = 0.04). A negative correlation was found between tumor volume and the preoperative score on the FAB (r = -0.50) and the verbal sequential commands on the SLTA (r = -0.58). The difference between the postoperative and preoperative scores for the verbal sequential commands on SLTA positively correlated with tumor volume (r = 0.57). Conclusion The present study found that the executive function, visuospatial cognitive function, and part of the language function were able to be influenced by cerebellar tumors in adult patients.