Exploring Compensation to Maintain Cognitive Function in Adults Newly Diagnosed With Brain Cancer

Recent research indicates that variability in cognitive function for brain tumor survivors may be explained by differences in cognitive reserve (CR) and use of compensatory strategies.However, it is unknown when cognitive function declines or survivors tap into compensation. This longitudinal mixed methods study proposes to explore differences in cognitive function and change over time in newly diagnosed adults with brain cancer prior to, immediately after (within 2 weeks), and 2-3 months after radiation therapy treatment has been completed.

Specific aims are to:

Aim1: Examine the relationship between objective and subjective cognitive function in subjects newly diagnosed with brain cancer prior to and after XRT.

Aim 2: Explore the interrelationship between cognitive function and compensation (neural and behavioral) by high/low CR prior to and after XRT.

Aim 3: Describe the trajectory of objective and subjective cognitive function over time by CR, cancer type, and associated treatment-related factors.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Primary Brain Tumor; Brain Metastases, Adult
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Neuropsychological Testing

Detailed Description

Cognitive impairments experienced by cancer survivors, from time of diagnosis through the health trajectory, are distressing, persistent, and negatively impact everyday function and quality of life. While reports of cancer- and treatment-related cognitive concerns vary substantially and may be underestimated in some diagnoses, the estimated incidence ranges from 30% in breast cancer up to 90% in brain cancers. Those with brain cancers, including both primary brain tumors and secondary brain metastases, often receive news of their diagnosis during prime productive years of their lives. Due to the cognitive effects from cancer or its treatment, most brain cancer survivors report difficulties returning to work or maintain family demands. Survivors often report co-occurring symptoms or a symptom cluster that include fatigue, sleep and mood disturbances, adding to multimorbidity conditions from the psychoneuroimmunologic effects of cancer. As medical advances have fostered significant gains in cancer survivorship and cancer is now recognized as a chronic illness, there is an urgency to address commonly faced symptoms and chronic conditions throughout the cancer trajectory beginning at time of diagnosis.

Cancer treatment is designed to induce cell death but when treating brain cancers, treatment may negatively impact neurogenesis and neural repair. Previous study indicates that some survivors of brain tumors use behavioral compensation, the investigators aim to understand how neural compensation may be impacted. Cognitive functions associated with biomarkers (NComp) are brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT). As survival rises, the investigators need to identify factors that moderate cognitive function in order to develop interventions aimed at minimizing functional decline.

This study is significant as it: 1) describes cognitive variability decline over time, and use of N/BComp; 2) uniquely explores cognition and N/BComp over time; 3) explores moderators of cognitive function across brain cancer survivors, 4) may lead to developing targeted cognitive interventions.

Cognitive function impacts everyday functional abilities and quality of life, however, change in cognition can elude detection. Discrepancies observed between subjective and objective cognitive, co-occurring symptoms, and its relationship with cognitive reserve are new research areas of interest in oncology. Exploring neural or behavioral compensation within the context of cognitive reserve is novel. No known oncology studies have reported the relationship of neural and behavioral compensation with change in cognitive function over time. Examining the trajectory of these variables can aid in identifying potential cognitive interventions for targeted use to prevent decline or maintain function over time.

This study is innovative because it is the first to explore the interface of neural/behavioral compensation and the cognitive trajectory, within a framework of cognitive reserve, in adults newly diagnosed with brain cancers.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 33

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
      • Duke University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 30 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Study participants will be recruited from the appropriate clinics within a large academic health care setting.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 30-65 years,
• Newly diagnosed with primary brain tumor or secondary brain metastases
• Able to read and write English as the neurocognitive testing will be administered using English language forms

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those with >moderate cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental Status Examination [MMSE] score<24) at baseline
• Aphasia
• Other neurodegenerative disorders Drink 3 or more alcoholic beverages per day (per Centers for Disease Control definition), report current use of illicit drugs/misuse of prescription medication, or currently undergoing treatment or had previous treatment for substance abuse at any time period (alcoholism or drug abuse).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Single arm study; In this feasibility study, longitudinal mixed methods will be used to measure cognitive function and symptoms by objective tests, interviews, and biomarker assay in adults with brain cancer over time: prior to radiation (XRT; T1), 2-weeks post-XRT (T2), 2-3 months post-XRT (T3).	Other: Neuropsychological Testing; Measure cognition function and cognitive reserve in patients before, during and after radiation therapy using cumulative scores of Hollingshead Index, North American Adult Reading Test, HVLT-R, TMT A&B and COWA over time.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in cognitive function	Serial neurocognitive testing using composite scores from the Trail Making A and B test	Baseline, 2 weeks and 3 months post radiation therapy
Change in cognitive function	Serial neurocognitive testing using composite scores from the Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) test	Baseline, 2 weeks and 3 months post radiation therapy
Change in cognitive function	Serial neurocognitive testing using the composite scores from the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test	Baseline, 2 weeks and 3 months post radiation therapy

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in cognitive function	Composite scores will be computed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Cognition Scale	Baseline and up to 3 months post XRT
Change in cognitive function	Composite scores will be computed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer-Treatment Cognition Scale	Baseline and up to 3 months post XRT
Change in cognition reserve	Composite scores will be computed using the Hollingshead Index	Baseline and up to 3 months post XRT
Change in cognition reserve	Composite scores will be computed using the North American Adult Reading Test	Baseline and up to 3 months post XRT

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Duke University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Deborah Allen, PhD, Duke Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 22, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 29, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): August 30, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 20, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2023
• Last Verified: January 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Central Nervous System Neoplasms; Nervous System Neoplasms; Brain Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00092580

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No