Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine how a persons' quality of life (QOL) changes before and after a brain check-up examination. The authors assessed health-related QOL in 203 examinees using the MOS Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36^[○!R]) over 1 month before examination. For 57 examinees, the QOL quantified by SF-36^[○!R] was compared before, 3 months, and 1 year after the examination. The examinees' mean scores for each of the eight domains of SF-36^[○!R] were lower than that of a Japanese reference population because over 60% of them were suffering from headache or dizziness. The QOL level improved at 3 months and 1 year after the examination if they knew of no serious brain disease in themselves. Asymptomatic events such as minor stroke or vascular stenosis also did not affect QOL. However, in case of a confirmed diagnosis of unruptured aneurysm, the examinees' QOL declined, especially in terms of physical and mental daily activities and this state of low mental activity lasted 1 year after the examination. The present study indicates both merits and demerits of brain check-ups in a persons' QOL; the diagnosis of a cerebral aneurysm may have a certain psychological impact during at least 1 year, although the majority of other asymptomatic brain disorders give satisfactory QOL. We expect that, despite the results of a brain check-up, people should be more positively prepared for, understand and utilize properly the variety of health information available to keep their good health and QOL.
