Background: The present narrative review aims to discuss cognitive-emotional-behavioral symptoms in adults with brain tumors at the time of diagnosis.
Methods: The PubMed database was searched considering glioma, pituitary adenoma, and meningioma in adulthood as pathologies, together with cognitive, neuropsychological, or behavioral aspects.
Results: Although a significant number of studies describe cognitive impairment after surgery or treatment in adults with brain tumors, only few focus on cognitive-emotional-behavioral symptoms at diagnosis. Furthermore, the importance of an effective communication and its impact on patients' quality of life and compliance with treatment are seldom discussed.
Conclusions: Adults with brain tumors have needs in terms of cognitive-emotional-behavioral features that are detectable at the time of diagnosis; more research is needed to identify effective communication protocols in order to allow a higher perceived quality of life in these patients.
Keywords: behavioral symptoms; brain tumor; cognitive symptoms; diagnosis; effective communication; glioma; meningioma; pituitary adenoma; quality of life.