Session Information
Session Time: None. Available on demand.
Disclosures: Christopher W. Lewis, MD: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Background and/or Objectives: The median age of diagnosis for patients with IDH wild-type (IDHwt) glioblastoma (GBM) is 68-70 years. It is well established that older age is associated with poorer survival. However, the association between age and cachexia, sarcopenia, or functional measures has not been described in this population.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF).
Participants: Patients with IDHwt GBM.
Interventions: Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures: Functional independence measure (FIM) scores.
Results: Among the 78 IDHwt GBM patients analyzed, 72% (n=56) were < 65 years of age and 28% (n=22) were ≥65 years of age. Patients < 65 years of age experienced greater weight loss from baseline with a mean of -6.1kg in the six months before admission to IRF as compared with patients ≥65 years of age with a mean weight loss of -2.9kg (p=0.04). The weight loss grading score (WLGS) among patients < 65 years of age had a mean WLGS of 2, which was higher than patients ≥65-years-old with a mean WLGS of 1.5 (p=0.03). Using Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia thresholds for grip strength, odds of sarcopenia were not significantly associated with age (p=0.99). FIM-motor gains and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) scores were larger among patients ≥65-years-old with a mean FIM-motor of 17 (mean 6MWT=62) as compared to patients < 65-years-old with a mean FIM-motor of 9 (mean 6MWT=35; p=0.04). FIM-cognitive (p=0.35) and motor (p=0.95) scores at the time of admission, and FIM-cognitive gains (p=0.17) were not significantly different between the age groups.
Conclusions: Both older and younger patients with IDHwt GBM, exhibited significant and similar functional gains during rehabilitation. Surprisingly, muscle wasting markers, such as cachexia and sarcopenia, were not necessarily associated with older age. Our analysis demonstrates that older patients with GBM selected for inpatient rehabilitation are not uniquely affected by muscle wasting or limited in functional recovery.
Level of Evidence: Level III
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Lewis CW, Johnson MO, Wainwright DA, Rabin EE, Roy I. Associated Functional Gains and Muscle Wasting Markers in Older versus Younger Patients with IDH Wild-type Glioblastoma [abstract]. PM R. 2022; 14(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/associated-functional-gains-and-muscle-wasting-markers-in-older-versus-younger-patients-with-idh-wild-type-glioblastoma/. Accessed May 18, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2022
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/associated-functional-gains-and-muscle-wasting-markers-in-older-versus-younger-patients-with-idh-wild-type-glioblastoma/