Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia Improves Patient-Reported Quality of Life and Reduces Depression

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

Methods and materials: The EuroQOL 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) were prospectively collected before and after SRS for 50 patients with TN. Pain response and treatment-related facial numbness were classified by Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scales. Differences in pooled QOL outcomes were tested with paired t tests and sign tests. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate time-dependent improvements in the EQ-5D index, EQ-5D perceived health status (PHS), PHQ-9 score, and freedom from pain failure (BNI class IV-V) or facial numbness (BNI class III-IV).

Results: Following SRS, the 12-month rate of freedom from pain failure was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77%-97%) while the 12-month rate of freedom from facial numbness was 89% (95% CI, 66%-97%). Significant improvements in the EQ-5D index (P<.01), PHS (P=.01), and PHQ-9 (P=.03) were observed, driven by the EQ-5D subscores for self-care and for pain and/or discomfort (P=.02 and P<.01, respectively). At 12 months after SRS, the actuarial rates of improvement in the EQ-5D, PHS, and PHQ-9 were 55% (95% CI, 40%-70%), 59% (95% CI, 40%-76%), and 59% (95% CI, 39%-76%), respectively. The median time to improvement in each of the QOL measures was 9 months (95% CI, 3-36 months) for the EQ-5D index, 5 months (95% CI, 3-36 months) for PHS, and 9 months (95% CI, 3-18 months) for the PHQ-9. On multivariate analysis, only higher prescription dose (86 Gy vs ≤82 Gy) was associated with improvement in the EQ-5D index (hazard ratio, 5.73; 95% CI, 1.85-22.33; P<.01).

Conclusions: Patients with TN treated with SRS reported significant improvements in multiple QOL measures, with the therapeutic benefit strongly driven by improvements in pain and/or discomfort and in self-care, along with lower rates of depression. In this analysis, there appears to be a correlation between prescription dose and treatment response as measured by the EQ-5D.