P17.27.a Affective Temperament Modulates Behavior in Primary Brain Tumors: Preliminary Findings

BACKGROUND Affective temperaments represent the substrate of personality that can influence the expression of autoimmune, infectious, and cardiovascular disorders. However, research conducted on brain tumors is absent. Aim: To investigate the effect of affective temperaments on the relationship between physical and psychiatric symptomsin patients with brain tumors. METHODS The sample consisted of 43 patients who have been evaluated at the Fondazione Policlinco Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS. Participants performed a multidisciplinary assessment including psychiatric evaluation through the administration of rating scales. The psychiatric dimensions assessed included severity of depressive, anxiety, manic symptoms, suicidality, resilience. Affective temperament was assessed through the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis,Pisa, Paris and San Diego-autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). We used TEMPS-A subscales as predictors and psychiatric rating scales total scores were outcome variables. RESULTS Higher levels of cyclothymic and irritable temperaments are associated to greater depressive and anxiety symptoms and greater suicidality. Depressive temperament predicts greater depressive symptoms. On the other hand, hyperthymic temperament buffer psychopathology. Limitation: The clinical variables included in the analyses do not represent the entire range of psychopathology. The small sample size limits the generalizability of the results found. CONCLUSIONS Stable-highly energetic temperamental traits, such as the hyperthymic, buffer against the development of psychopathology, whereas, unstable-highly energetic temperamental traits, such as the irritable and the hyperthymic, favor mood instability and suicide. Lower energetic temperamental traits, such as the depressive one, are associated to higher depressive symptoms but not suicide. The clinical evaluation of behavioral alterations in subjects with primary brain tumors might benefit from the analysis of affective temperament.