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Correspondence between Subjective and Objective Cognitive Functioning Following Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2016

Mary E. Mihuta ,
Heather J. Green Open the ORCID record for Heather J. Green [Opens in a new window] ,
David W. K. Man  and
David H. K. Shum
Mary E. Mihuta
Affiliation:
Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
Heather J. Green*
Affiliation:
Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
David W. K. Man
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
David H. K. Shum
Affiliation:
Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Heather Green, School of Applied Psychology, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, QLD, 4222, Australia. E-mail: h.green@griffith.edu.au
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Abstract

This study examined subjective and objective cognitive functioning in 26 female breast cancer survivors (BCS) who received chemotherapy treatment that finished .5 to 5 years prior to testing and compared their results to 25 demographically matched women with no history of cancer. Participants were assessed on prospective memory (PM) tasks; neuropsychological tests of processing speed, attentional flexibility with greater cognitive load, executive function, and verbal memory; self-report measures of cognitive dysfunction and PM failures; and distress. The BCS group showed significantly slower speed of processing and reduced attentional flexibility, and reported significantly more cognitive complaints and PM failures than the control group on five of six self-report measures. The groups did not differ on other PM or neuropsychological measures or on a measure of distress. Subjective cognition correlated with some neuropsychological tests and with a virtual reality PM task. Objective cognitive impairments were associated with reduced quality of life in the BCS group. The results provide some evidence of both self-reported impairment and objective cognitive dysfunction following chemotherapy treatment.

Keywords

Attention/processing speedexecutive functionmedical/surgicalmemoryquality of lifecancer
Type
Articles
Information
Brain Impairment , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , December 2016 , pp. 222 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment 2016 

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