Cognitive Function in Korean Women Diagnosed with Early Stage Breast Cancer.

Cognitive Function;Breast Cancer;Chemotherapy;Culture;Nursing;Health Sciences;Nursing

Jung, Mi SookTherrien, Barbara A. ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Cognitive Function;    Breast Cancer;    Chemotherapy;    Culture;    Nursing;    Health Sciences;    Nursing;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/91436/msjung_2.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Cognitive deficits have been reported in western women following chemotherapy for breast cancer (BC). Attention and working memory deficits may negatively impact women’s abilities in performing in daily activities, dealing with stressful situations, and maintaining health-related quality of life. However, little is known about cognitive deficits in Korean women with BC. Furthermore, no research has examined cultural effects on cognitive deficits although cultural context can influence cognitive processing, thereby affecting performance and responses. This study investigated the incidence and severity of attention and working memory deficits in Korean women treated with chemotherapy for early stage BC and explored factors contributing to cognitive deficits. Based on the biobehavioral-neurocultural framework, demographic, general health, and medical characteristics, physical and psychological symptoms (fatigue, anxiety and depressed mood, sleep problem, and symptom distress), and cultural characteristics (cultural attitude of collectivism, housework burden, childrearing burden, and self-blame tendency about BC diagnosis) were considered as potential covariates. Assessment with established neurocognitive measures and self-reports of cognitive function and potential covariates was conducted in 32 BC participants about four months following chemotherapy and in 32 non-BC participants after negative screening mammography. Comparative statistics and multiple regression analyses were used. BC participants showed higher incidence and greater severity of cognitive deficits than non-BC participants. Specifically, BC participants had lower scores on neurocognitive tests, worse performance in the attention network test, and lower scores on perceived cognitive function than non-BC participants. These group differences were medium to large. Being in the BC group, older age, and lower educational level significantly predicted poorer cognitive performance while being in the BC group was found to be a predictor of better effectiveness of cognitive function. Interestingly, the number of symptoms regardless of severity was found to be an important predictor of worse performance and lower effectiveness in cognitive function. Depressed mood significantly predicted lower effectiveness in cognitive functioning. Cultural attitude of collectivism was a significant predictor of poorer cognitive performance, while having a daughter and lower childrearing burden predicted better effectiveness in cognitive functioning. These factors should be considered when designing therapeutic interventions to improve cognitive function in Korean women with BC.