Everyday memory and processing alteration in patients with high-grade glioma after radiotherapy: a mixed method, public survey

Mazzaschi, Francesca, Sivell, Stephanie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0253-1860, Byrne, Anthony, Brain, Katherine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9296-9748, Powell, James and Nelson, Annmarie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6075-8425 2021. Everyday memory and processing alteration in patients with high-grade glioma after radiotherapy: a mixed method, public survey. Presented at: 17th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC 2021), Virtual, 06-08 October 2021. Abstracts from the 17th World Congress of the EAPC 2021. Palliative Medicine. , vol.35 (Issue) SAGE Publications, pp. 76-77. 10.1177/02692163211035909

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Abstract

Background: Symptoms experienced due to high-grade glioma (HGG) and its treatments can negatively affect patient quality of life. Cognitive changes can be especially difficult to understand as they are more challenging to quantify and describe. Aims: Primary: to better understand the areas of cognition altered in patients with HGG after radiotherapy (RT). Secondary: to establish an understanding of how patients and their families may perceive changes. Methods: A mixed method, public survey of stakeholder experiences of everyday cognitive functioning, asking patients, their family and friends (FF), and healthcare professionals (HCP) how often they experience/observe difficulty with daily mental tasks after RT. Likert scales were coded 1 to 5. For patients and FF, 1 represented ‘much less often’ and 5 ‘much more often’. For HCP 1 represented ‘never’ and 5 ‘very frequently’. Responses were descriptively analysed. Open-ended questions were thematically analysed. Results: 143/148 participants (97%) completed the survey (patients n=91; FF n=46; HCP n=6). Many situations received responses ranging 1 to 5. Patients, and FF, reported mean responses to be above 3 (same as before) for all questions, ranging from 3.4 to 4.3. HCPs reported observing patient difficulty in all daily tasks. Free text responses show that patients and FF acknowledged a strain on daily living, with recurrent themes including patient reliance on others and a decline of emotional wellbeing of patients. Distinctions between responses show FF focus more on patient personality changes and how patient-family interactions are negatively affected. Patients describe changes first-hand, with emphasis on coping mechanisms. Conclusion Decline may be experienced across all cognitive domains. This negatively impacts both patients and those around them. Whilst both express this, both give unique insight as to how this is experienced. Both perspectives should be accounted for when assessing a patient’s cognitive state.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Medicine
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
ISSN:	0269-2163
Last Modified:	23 Jun 2025 12:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/147369

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