Background: Awake craniotomy (AC) is considered to achieve maximal safe resection of language eloquent gliomas. Impact of AC on the psychological status of patients (mainly anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) is a potential concern. Despite the studies reporting the early postoperative patient's perception after AC, this study has been performed to quantitatively evaluate the long-term influence of AC on the level of anxiety/depression after surgery.
Methods: Patients who underwent AC for suspected language eloquent high-grade glioma were enrolled in this study. The anxiety, depression and PTSD of the patients were evaluated via hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) one week before and 1 and 6 months after the operation. PTSD symptoms were assessed according to the DSM-V checklist and confirmed by a structured clinical interview for DSM-V.
Results: Twenty-eight patients (22 men, six women) with the mean age of 39.2 years were enrolled. The mean preoperative depressive and anxiety score was 4.9±5.9 and 7.7±5.8 respectively. One month after surgery they were 6±4.9 and 7.4±6.2 and at 6 months' follow-up 5.5±5.1 and 5.4±4.2 respectively. There was no statistically significant trend for alterations of the anxiety/depression levels before and after surgery. Female patients, those suspected to have glioblastoma and patients presenting with speech disturbance had remarkably higher preoperative anxiety levels. Three patients had PTSD symptoms 3 months after AC while at 6 months there was no indication of PTSD. The decremental trend of PTSD score within 6 months was statistically significant.
Conclusions: Judicious application of AC is not associated with an escalation of the anxiety/depression level among the patients. Even patients with high preoperative anxiety levels could be managed with AC without severe psychological deterioration.