Factors Influencing the Improvement of Activities of Daily Living During Inpatient Rehabilitation in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Glioblastoma

Abstract Purpose To identify pre-, intra-, and postoperative factors influencing the improvement of the activities of daily living (ADL) in newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma (GBM), we investigated the characteristics and variable factors and overall survival. Methods A total of 105 patients with GBM were retrospectively analyzed and categorized into three groups according to the quartile of change of Barthel index score from admission to discharge: deterioration (n = 25), no remarkable change (n = 55), and good recovery (n = 25). We compared with the characteristics, variable factors, and overall survival of patients with deterioration and good recovery after tumor resection. Results There was statistically different in the pre-, intra-, and post-operative factors between the groups. Multiple regression analysis identified four significant predictor variables that may influence the improvement of ADL after surgery: the improvement of motor paralysis after surgery, mild fatigue during chemoradiotherapy, poor Karnofsky performance status at admission, and length up to early walking training onset. The median overall survival was significantly different between the patients with deterioration (10.6 months, 95% CIs, 5.19–16.00) and good recovery (18.9 months, 95% CIs, 8.61–29.18) (p = 0.025). Conclusion This study identified four factors influencing the improvement of ADL after surgery. In addition, a structured inpatient rehabilitation programs can be performed safely and improve functional outcomes, which may contribute to the survival prognosis.