The impact of epilepsy on the quality of life of patients with benign meningioma


Tanti, Matthew The impact of epilepsy on the quality of life of patients with benign meningioma. Master of Philosophy thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Meningiomas account for 20% of all brain tumours. They are usually benign and around 35% will develop epilepsy. Despite surgery or anti-epileptic drug (AED) use, intermittent seizures can remain. This may be significant as AED use and continued seizures can lead to reduced quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of epilepsy on the quality of life of patients with benign WHO grade 1 meningiomas. Quality of life questionnaires were posted to meningioma patients with and without epilepsy, and the scores were compared between the two groups. An epilepsy control group (without meningioma) was also included so that the role of meningioma could be evaluated. This is the first study to directly compare quality of life between meningioma patients and meningioma patients with epilepsy. The study hypothesis is that the QoL of meningioma patients with epilepsy will be more impaired than the scores of meningioma patients without epilepsy. It is additionally hypothesised that meningioma patients with epilepsy will have QoL scores that are more impaired than the scores of epilepsy patients without meningioma. In total 229 patients participated in this study: 109 had a meningioma, 56 had meningioma and epilepsy, and 64 had epilepsy without a meningioma. Each group was sent three questionnaires: the Short Form 36 (SF-36), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy with brain subscales (FACT-BR) and the Liverpool Adverse Events Profile (AEP). The demographics and comorbidities of all patients were reviewed, as were the tumour and epilepsy characteristics. Quality of life scores were impaired in the meningioma with epilepsy group but only the FACT-BR detected a significant difference. Quality of life was more impaired in the epilepsy without meningioma group when compared to the meningioma with epilepsy group, but this difference was not significant in any of the questionnaires. In a multiple regression analysis of the meningioma and meningioma with epilepsy groups, unemployment, depression, the number of meningioma symptoms, and the use of AEDs were repeatedly shown to predict impaired quality of life scores. In a regression model containing epilepsy patients and meningioma patients with epilepsy, meningioma symptoms did not significantly predict impaired quality of life. It was concluded that epilepsy does have a negative impact on the quality of life of meningioma patients. However, as epilepsy severity in meningioma patients is mild, so is the impact on quality of life. The effect of the meningioma in epilepsy patients was not as strong as the effect of epilepsy in meningioma patients.

Item Type: Thesis (Master of Philosophy)
Additional Information: Date: 2014-05 (completed)
Subjects: ?? RC0321 ??
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 31 Jul 2014 15:33
Last Modified: 16 Dec 2022 04:42
DOI: 10.17638/00018653
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/18653
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