Family Functioning Mediates the Association Between Neurocognitive Functioning and Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors

Overview

Journal J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2015 Apr 9

PMID 25852971

Citations 14

Authors

Matthew C Hocking

Wendy L Hobbie

Janet A Deatrick

Thomas L Hardie

Lamia P Barakat

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Childhood brain tumor (BT) survivors experience significant neurocognitive sequelae that affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A model of neurodevelopmental late effects and family functioning in childhood cancer survivors suggests associations between survivor neurocognitive functioning, family functioning, and survivor HRQOL. This study examines the concurrent associations between survivor neurocognitive functioning, family functioning, and survivor emotional HRQOL, and the indirect effects of neurocognitive functioning on survivor emotional HRQOL through family functioning.

Methods: Participants included young adult-aged childhood BT survivors (18-30 years old; N=34) who were on average 16 years post-diagnosis, and their mothers. A brief neuropsychological battery assessed working and verbal memory, processing speed, and executive functioning. Survivors and mothers completed measures of family functioning, and mothers completed a proxy-report measure of survivor HRQOL.

Results: Spearman bivariate correlations examined the associations between indices of survivor neurocognitive functioning and concurrent family functioning and survivor emotional HRQOL. Poorer survivor processing speed, working memory, verbal memory, and executive function were significantly associated with worse survivor- and mother-reported family functioning (r's range: 0.36-0.58). Additionally, worse survivor processing speed and executive function were significantly associated with poorer survivor emotional HRQOL (r's range: 0.44-0.48). Bootstrapping analyses provided evidence for the indirect effects of neurocognitive functioning on survivor emotional HRQOL through family functioning.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that family functioning is an important variable that might mitigate the negative influence of neurocognitive late effects on survivors and is a potential target in future interventions.

Citing Articles

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Effect of family resilience on subjective well-being in patients with advanced cancer: the chain mediating role of perceived social support and psychological resilience.

Yang Y, He F, Li D, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Zhang H Front Psychol. 2024; 14:1222792.

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Barriers to Care and Perceived Need for Mental Health Services Among Adolescent and Emerging Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors.

Fisher A, Patronick J, Moscato E, Gerhardt C, Treble-Barna A, Radonovich K J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2023; 13(3):469-480.

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Caregivers matter: Neurological vulnerability for pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Moscato E, Fisher A, Pillay-Smiley N, Salloum R, Wade S Neurooncol Pract. 2023; 10(5):418-428.

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Radiotherapy-Induced Neurocognitive Dysfunction in Brain Tumor Survivors: Burden and Rehabilitation.

Jalali R, Maitre P Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2023; 130:197-206.

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