CLINICAL STUDY Cognitive rehabilitation for early post-surgery inpatients affected by primary brain tumor: a randomized, controlled trial Chiara Zucchella • Annarita Capone • Valentina Codella • Alessandro Marco De Nunzio • Carmine Vecchione • Giorgio Sandrini • Andrea Pace • Francesco Pierelli • Michelangelo Bartolo Received: 15 November 2012 / Accepted: 7 May 2013 / Published online: 16 May 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013 Abstract Cognitive impairment is one of the most com- mon neurological disorders in neuro-oncological patients and exerts a deep negative impact on quality of life inter- fering with familiar, social and career-related activities. To test the effectiveness of early cognitive rehabilitation treatment for inpatients affected by primary brain tumors. Out of 109 consecutive patients enrolled in the study, 58 patients were randomly assigned to a rehabilitation group or to a control group. The rehabilitation consisted of 16 one-hour individual sessions of therapist-guided cognitive training, spread over 4 weeks, combining computer exer- cises and metacognitive training. Patients in the control group received usual care without cognitive training. All patients were evaluated by means of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery at the admission (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1). Patients in the rehabilitation group showed a significant improvement of cognitive functions. In partic- ular, the domains that benefited most from the training were visual attention and verbal memory. The control group exhibited only a slightly, not statistically relevant, enhancement of cognitive performances. Cognitive reha- bilitation for neuro-oncological inpatients resulted in a significant enhancement of cognitive performances after the training, also providing a foundation for early admin- istration. Future research should be aimed to clarify the patients’ characteristics that predict neuropsychological improvement, to identify the most effective elements in rehabilitative programs and to study the effects of treat- ment extension to everyday life. Keywords Neuropsychology Á Cognitive rehabilitation Á Brain tumors Á Quality of life Á Neuro-oncology C. Zucchella Á A. Capone Á V. Codella Á F. Pierelli Á M. Bartolo (&) Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Neurological Mediterranean Institute NEUROMED, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy e-mail: bartolomichelangelo@gmail.com C. Zucchella Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy A. M. De Nunzio Á M. Bartolo Neurorehabilitation Unit, Laboratory of Multifactorial Biomechanics, IRCCS Neurological Mediterranean Institute NEUROMED, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy C. Vecchione Laboratory of Vascular Pathophysiology, IRCCS Neurological Mediterranean Institute NEUROMED, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy C. Vecchione Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi, Salerno, Italy G. Sandrini Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS National Neurological Institute C. Mondino Foundation, via Mondino 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy G. Sandrini Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Pavia, via Mondino 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy A. Pace Neurology Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via E. Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy F. Pierelli Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Rome ‘‘La Sapienza’’, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy 123 J Neurooncol (2013) 114:93–100 DOI 10.1007/s11060-013-1153-z