Remote assessment of cognitive dysfunction in hematologic malignancies using web-based neuropsychological testing.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Neuropsychology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Cognitive impairment is a common side effect of cancer and its treatments.
• Neuropsychological assessment is not standard care for non-CNS cancer patients.
• There is a need for practical tools to monitor cognitive function throughout cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a web-based cognitive testing battery for detecting cognitive differences in cancer patients.
• To assess the feasibility of remote cognitive and psychosocial functioning assessment in cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• 22 patients with multiple myeloma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 40 healthy controls participated.
• Participants completed the BrainCheck cognitive battery and PROMIS measures remotely.
• MANOVA and regression analyses were used to compare groups and identify contributing factors.

Main Results:

• Cancer patients showed significantly lower objective and subjective cognitive function compared to controls.
• Cancer patients reported higher fatigue and lower physical and social functioning.
• Corticosteroid treatment, immunotherapy, lower physical functioning, income, and older age were linked to poorer cognitive function.

Conclusions:

• Remote assessment of cognitive and psychosocial health is feasible for cancer patients.
• The BrainCheck cognitive testing battery can differentiate cognitive function between cancer patients and controls.