Event Topic:
A brain tumour or its treatment can cause changes to behaviour, personality and cognition. Not everyone with a brain tumour diagnosis will experience these symptoms, but for those that do, they can be some of the most challenging for you and your family and friends to adjust to.
Neuro-psychologists specialise in physical effects of brain disease or injury on mental abilities, and can help with understanding the source and extent of any behavioural, personality or cognitive changes, and can suggest strategies to support you and your loved ones in managing these symptoms and minimising their impacts on daily life.
In this Q&A webinar, we have invited a panel of health care professionals, including a neuro-psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a brain cancer care coordinator from a variety of health services in Victoria to explain how brain tumours can cause behavioural and cognitive changes, what some of the changes are that someone with a brain tumour may experience, and to talk about some of the strategies and supports available to manage these symptoms in Australia. They also answered questions submitted by webinar participants.
Please note: as always, these webinars are for education purposes and should not be taken as individual medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare team to find out what approach is best for you.
About the speakers:
- Professor Mei Krishnasamy, Professor of Nursing (Cancer) at the University of Melbourne, and part of the Brain Tumours Online team, will host this session.
- Dr Beth Potter, Senior Clinical Neuro-psychologist, Barwon Health. Beth has worked as a Neuropsychologist at Barwon Health in Geelong for 16 years across lots of services within neurological rehabilitation, mental health, paediatrics and aged care. Her current role is within the psychology team at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre. She works with oncologists, nurses and clinical psychologists in supporting brain tumour patients. Neuropsychology assists by providing an understanding of the impact of the tumour, surgery and treatments on brain function and strategies to manage these in working towards meaningful goals.
- Associate Professor Alex Holmes. Alex is Head of consultation-liaison psychiatry at Royal Melbourne Hospital and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne. His clinical work and research has focussed on the psychiatric sequelae of physical illness, including serious physical injury, pain, multiple sclerosis and brain tumours.
- Ms Jane Staker is a Neuro-Oncology Nurse Consultant and Brain Cancer Care Coordinator at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Additional resources on this topic:
If you would like more information on this topic, the Brain Tumour Charity in the United Kingdom have developed some good fact sheets on cognitive and personality changes which contain some relevant and useful information, although the links of where to go to for support are UK-based:
- Personality changes – living with a brain tumour (PDF fact sheet)
- Cognitive difficulties (PDF fact sheet)
- Coping with cognitive difficulties (PDF fact sheet)
Where to find support in Australia:
In the webinar, our panel mentioned Peace of Mind Foundation and Carers Gateway as two places to go for support. They also mentioned talking to your GP or treating team and asking for a referral to a neuro-psychologist or occupational therapist if you are concerned about cognitive and behavioural changes.