Psychometric evaluation of the pediatric applied cognition scale in pediatric hematology/oncology

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Neuro-oncology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Pediatric patients with hematology/oncology conditions frequently experience neurocognitive deficits due to disease and treatment.
• Accurate screening tools are essential for identifying these cognitive impairments.
• The Pediatric Applied Cognition (PAC) Short Form assesses attention and memory concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the PAC Short Form in pediatric patients with hematology/oncology conditions.
• To determine the reliability and validity of the PAC Short Form in this specific population.
• To explore the association between PAC scores and psychosocial/academic functioning.

Main Methods:

• The study included 222 pediatric patients undergoing hematology/oncology treatment.
• Participants and their caregivers completed the PAC Short Form and self-report measures.
• Psychometric analyses included internal consistency and correlational analyses.

Main Results:

• The PAC Short Form demonstrated strong internal consistency for both child (α = 0.81-0.89) and parent (α = 0.92-0.95) reports.
• Increased cognitive concerns on the PAC were linked to greater psychosocial issues (anxiety, depression, fatigue) and lower academic grades.
• The Parent PAC provided incremental predictive value for child-reported depression, mobility issues, and academic performance.

Conclusions:

• The PAC Short Form appears to be a reliable tool for identifying general academic and psychosocial concerns in pediatric hematology/oncology patients.
• Findings suggest the PAC can serve as a useful indicator of cognitive and related functional impairments.
• Further research is recommended to validate the PAC against performance-based neurocognitive assessments and academic achievement data.