Resumen
Many glioma patients suffer from postoperative language problems after awake brain surgery, which have a negative effect on their quality of life. We investigated which language-related factors before and during surgery predicted language problems after surgery (language outcome). We found that language problems before surgery and word-finding and production problems during surgery were predictors for the language outcome. After surgery, the language problems that occurred most often were production deficits and spontaneous speech deficits. In conclusion, during surgery, word-finding problems and production errors should carry particular weight during decision making concerning the optimal onco-functional balance for a given patient, and spontaneous speech should be monitored. These new insights should be investigated further and may facilitate decision-making during surgery in the future, which can improve the procedure. This may improve the language outcome and ultimately the quality of life in this patient group.