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Gaynor AM, Ahsan A, Jung D, Schofield E, Li Y, Ryan E, Ahles TA, Root JC. Novel computerized neurocognitive test battery is sensitive to cancer-related cognitive deficits in survivors. J Cancer Surviv 2024; 18:466-478. [PMID: 35939254 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-022-01232-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is increasing interest in developing new methods to improve sensitivity in detecting subtle cognitive deficits associated with cancer and its treatments. The current study aimed to evaluate the ability of a novel computerized battery of cognitive neuroscience-based tests to discriminate between cognitive performance in breast cancer survivors and controls. METHODS Breast cancer survivors (N = 174) and age-matched non-cancer controls (N = 183) completed the Enformia Cogsuite Battery of cognitive assessments, comprised of 7 computerized tests of multiple cognitive domains. Primary outcome measures included accuracy, reaction times (RT), and coefficients of variation (CV) for each task, as well as global scores of accuracy, RT, and CV aggregated across tests. RESULTS Linear regressions adjusting for age, education, and remote vs. in-office administration showed that compared to non-cancer controls, survivors had significantly lower performance on measures of attention, executive function, working memory, verbal ability, visuospatial ability, and motor function. Survivors had significantly greater CV on measures of attention, working memory, and processing speed, and significantly slower RT on measures of verbal fluency. CONCLUSIONS The Cogsuite battery demonstrates sensitivity to cancer-related cognitive dysfunction across multiple domains, and is capable of identifying specific cognitive processes that may be affected in survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS The sensitivity of these tasks to subtle cognitive deficits has advantages for initial diagnosis of cancer-related cognitive dysfunction, as well as detecting changes in survivors' cognitive function over time. The remote delivery of the battery may help overcome barriers associated with in-office administration and increase access to neurocognitive evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Gaynor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA.
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Anam Ahsan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Schofield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | - Yuelin Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | - Tim A Ahles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | - James C Root
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Ave., 7thFloor, New York, NY, 10022, USA
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Gaynor AM, Flaherty KR, Root JC, Salas-Ramirez KY, Scott JM, Nelson CJ. Exercise Associated with Cognitive Function in Older Men with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy. Int J Behav Med 2023; 30:924-929. [PMID: 36717389 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-022-10150-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To examine associations between exercise and cognitive function in older men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer. METHOD Men ≥ 65 years old with prostate cancer, currently undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for ≥ 6 months (n = 50), completed the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, and standard neuropsychological tests. Pearson's correlations and linear regressions were used to examine associations between exercise and cognitive performance. RESULTS Exercise was significantly positively correlated with performance on tests of memory, attention, and executive function. Linear regressions showed that when controlling for age and education, exercise remained a significant predictor of attention and executive function performance (p < 0.05), and showed moderate, but statistically non-significant effects on memory performance (p < 0.10). CONCLUSION Greater exercise is associated with better functioning in multiple cognitive domains in men with prostate cancer undergoing hormone therapy, providing proof-of-concept evidence that exercise may be a feasible intervention to limit cognitive dysfunction in prostate cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Gaynor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA.
| | - Kathleen R Flaherty
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - James C Root
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jessica M Scott
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian J Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Root JC, Li Y, Schofield E, Orlow I, Ryan E, Traina T, Patel SK, Ahles TA. Cognitive Aging in Older Breast Cancer Survivors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3208. [PMID: 37370818 PMCID: PMC10296698 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer and cancer treatments may affect aging processes, altering the trajectory of cognitive aging, but the extant studies are limited in their intervals of assessment (two-five years). We studied the cognitive performance of a cohort of survivors and controls aged from 60 to 89 years utilizing cross-sectional cognitive performance data as an indicator of potential aging trajectories and contrasted these trends with longitudinal data collected over two years. METHODS Female breast cancer survivors who had been diagnosed and treated at age 60 or older and were 5- to 15-year survivors (N = 328) and non-cancer controls (N = 158) were assessed at enrollment and at 8, 16, and 24 months with standard neuropsychological tests and comprehensive geriatric assessment. RESULTS A cross-sectional baseline analysis found the expected inverse association of age with cognition in both groups, with survivors performing lower overall than controls in learning and memory (LM). Younger survivors, i.e., those under 75 years of age, exhibited lower performance in both LM and attention, and processing speed and executive function (APE), compared to controls, with no differences being observed between older survivors and controls, which tracked with deficit accumulation trends. CONCLUSION Cognitive differences between the survivors and controls for the LM and APE domains were prominent in younger survivors, as was deficit accumulation, suggesting a mediating effect on cognition. Deficit accumulation may represent a modifiable risk factor in cancer survivorship that may be targeted for prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Root
- Neurocognitive Research Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (Y.L.); (E.S.); (E.R.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Yuelin Li
- Neurocognitive Research Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (Y.L.); (E.S.); (E.R.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Elizabeth Schofield
- Neurocognitive Research Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (Y.L.); (E.S.); (E.R.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Irene Orlow
- Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Elizabeth Ryan
- Neurocognitive Research Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (Y.L.); (E.S.); (E.R.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Tiffany Traina
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Sunita K. Patel
- Departments of Population Science and Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Tim A. Ahles
- Neurocognitive Research Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (Y.L.); (E.S.); (E.R.); (T.A.A.)
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Root JC, Gaynor AM, Ahsan A, Jung D, Schofield E, Ryan E, Li Y, Ahles TA. Remote, Computerised Cognitive Assessment for Breast Cancer- and Treatment-Related Cognitive Dysfunction: Psychometric Characteristics of the Cogsuite Neurocognitive Battery. ARCHIVES OF CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGISTS 2023:6991200. [PMID: 36655820 PMCID: PMC10369363 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acac111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cancer-related cognitive dysfunction (CRCD) is a significant concern for breast cancer survivors. The Cogsuite battery was developed to improve sensitivity to CRCD with the use of cognitive experimental measures, clarify specific cognitive processes impacted and to be capable of being administered either in-office or remotely. METHODS In sum, 357 breast cancer survivors and non-cancer controls completed the Cogsuite Battery in-office (n = 76) or remotely (n = 281). Measure validity, sensitivity to demographic factors, correlations with standard neuropsychological measures and intercorrelations of Cogsuite variables were assessed. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in-office (n = 24) and remotely (n = 80). RESULTS Test-retest reliability for most variables assessed was adequate to strong. Internal validity, as indicated by the confirmation of expected condition effects within each measure, was established for all measures. Assessment of external validity found age, but not education, was a significant predictor in the majority of measures. Assessment of criterion validity found that Cogsuite variables were correlated with standard measures in psychomotor speed, working memory and executive function, but not associated with self-reported cognition or mood. CONCLUSIONS Cogsuite is reliable and valid, and is sensitive to the effects of increasing age on cognition. The addition of the Cogsuite battery to standard assessment may improve sensitivity to CRCD and identify underlying processes that may be affected. Remote use of the Cogsuite battery in appropriate settings will lessen the burden for providers, researchers and survivors in research and clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Root
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Alexandra M Gaynor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Anam Ahsan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Schofield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yuelin Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tim A Ahles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Van Dyk K, Ahn J, Zhou X, Zhai W, Ahles TA, Bethea TN, Carroll JE, Cohen HJ, Dilawari AA, Graham D, Jacobsen PB, Jim H, McDonald BC, Nakamura ZM, Patel SK, Rentscher KE, Saykin AJ, Small BJ, Mandelblatt JS, Root JC. Associating persistent self-reported cognitive decline with neurocognitive decline in older breast cancer survivors using machine learning: The Thinking and Living with Cancer study. J Geriatr Oncol 2022; 13:1132-1140. [PMID: 36030173 PMCID: PMC10016202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many cancer survivors report cognitive problems following diagnosis and treatment. However, the clinical significance of patient-reported cognitive symptoms early in survivorship can be unclear. We used a machine learning approach to determine the association of persistent self-reported cognitive symptoms two years after diagnosis and neurocognitive test performance in a prospective cohort of older breast cancer survivors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We enrolled breast cancer survivors with non-metastatic disease (n = 435) and age- and education-matched non-cancer controls (n = 441) between August 2010 and December 2017 and followed until January 2020; we excluded women with neurological disease and all women passed a cognitive screen at enrollment. Women completed the FACT-Cog Perceived Cognitive Impairment (PCI) scale and neurocognitive tests of attention, processing speed, executive function, learning, memory and visuospatial ability, and timed activities of daily living assessments at enrollment (pre-systemic treatment) and annually to 24 months, for a total of 59 individual neurocognitive measures. We defined persistent self-reported cognitive decline as clinically meaningful decline (3.7+ points) on the PCI scale from enrollment to twelve months with persistence to 24 months. Analysis used four machine learning models based on data for change scores (baseline to twelve months) on the 59 neurocognitive measures and measures of depression, anxiety, and fatigue to determine a set of variables that distinguished the 24-month persistent cognitive decline group from non-cancer controls or from survivors without decline. RESULTS The sample of survivors and controls ranged in age from were ages 60-89. Thirty-three percent of survivors had self-reported cognitive decline at twelve months and two-thirds continued to have persistent decline to 24 months (n = 60). Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) models distinguished survivors with persistent self-reported declines from controls (AUC = 0.736) and survivors without decline (n = 147; AUC = 0.744). The variables that separated groups were predominantly neurocognitive test performance change scores, including declines in list learning, verbal fluency, and attention measures. DISCUSSION Machine learning may be useful to further our understanding of cancer-related cognitive decline. Our results suggest that persistent self-reported cognitive problems among older women with breast cancer are associated with a constellation of mild neurocognitive changes warranting clinical attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Van Dyk
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America.
| | - Jaeil Ahn
- Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Xingtao Zhou
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Wanting Zhai
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Tim A Ahles
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Traci N Bethea
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Judith E Carroll
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Harvey Jay Cohen
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Asma A Dilawari
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Deena Graham
- John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, United States of America
| | - Paul B Jacobsen
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Heather Jim
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Brenna C McDonald
- Center for Neuroimaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Zev M Nakamura
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Sunita K Patel
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Kelly E Rentscher
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Andrew J Saykin
- Center for Neuroimaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Brent J Small
- University of South Florida, Health Outcome and Behavior Program and Biostatistics Resource Core, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Research Institute at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Jeanne S Mandelblatt
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - James C Root
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
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Melara RD, Ahles TA, Prashad N, Fernbach M, Edelman JA, Root J. Longitudinal Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment on Neural Correlates of Attention. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2022; 38:12-24. [PMID: 35901461 PMCID: PMC9868529 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cognitive dysfunction has been observed consistently in a subset of breast cancer survivors. Yet, the precise physiological and processing origins of dysfunction remain unknown. The current study examined the utility of methods and procedures based on cognitive neuroscience to study cognitive change associated with cancer and cancer treatment. METHODS We used electroencephalogram and behavioral measures in a longitudinal design to investigate pre- versus post-treatment effects on attention performance in breast cancer patients (n = 15) compared with healthy controls (n = 24), as participants completed the revised Attention Network Test, a cognitive measure of alerting, orienting, and inhibitory control of attention. RESULTS We found no group differences in behavioral performance from pretest to posttest, but significant event-related potential effects of cancer treatment in processing cue validity: After treatment, patients revealed decreased N1 amplitude and increased P3 amplitude, suggesting a suppressed early (N1) response and an exaggerated late (P3) response to invalid cues. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that treatment-related attentional disruption begins in early sensory/perceptual processing and extends to compensatory top-down executive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Melara
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, City College, City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, NAC 7-120, New York, NY 10031, USA. Tel.: +1-212-650-5716. E-mail address: (R. D. Melara)
| | - Tim A Ahles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Neelam Prashad
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Madalyn Fernbach
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jay A Edelman
- Department of Biology, City College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - James Root
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
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