Reliability and validity of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Neurocognitive Questionnaire

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Up to 40% of childhood cancer survivors may experience neurocognitive impairment in 1 or more specific domains. As such, regular monitoring has been recommended for patients exposed to cranial irradiation and/or antimetabolite chemotherapy. This study reports the results of a questionnaire developed to identify those survivors who may be experiencing neurocognitive problems. METHODS. Participants for this study were 7121 members of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort (6739 survivors and 382 siblings). These participants completed a new neurocognitive questionnaire designed to assess functions commonly affected by cancer therapy, as well as a standard measure of emotional functioning. A measure of cognitive and emotional functioning was also completed on a subset of the patients roughly 7 years before the current questionnaire. Responses to the questionnaires among subgroups of survivors were then analyzed to examine the reliability and validity of the new neurocognitive questionnaire. RESULTS. Four reliable factors were identified that assessed task efficiency, emotional regulation, organization, and memory skills. These neurocognitive factors accurately discriminated survivors who were at “high risk” for neurocognitive dysfunction, because of neurologic abnormalities or a history of intensive focal cranial irradiation, from healthy “low‐risk” survivors and siblings. CONCLUSIONS. The questionnaire demonstrated excellent reliability, as well as construct and discriminative validity. It appears to be a practical and efficient tool for monitoring neurocognitive outcomes in adult survivors of pediatric cancer. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.

Psychosocial and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Adult Survivors of Adolescent and Early Young Adult Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

“…18,20 The CCSS Neurocognitive Questionnaire (CCSS-NCQ) was designed to assess self-reported neurocognitive symptoms often affected by cancer therapy. 21 The CCSS-NCQ contains four factors-task efficiency, emotional regulation, plan/organization, and working memory-derived from a 25-item questionnaire that asks participants to report the degree to which they experienced specific problems in these areas over the past 6 months. Raw scores were used and referenced to the sibling cohort, with scores Ն 90th percentile of siblings classified as impaired.…”

Psychological Status in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

“…12 It was constructed to assess skills reported to be sensitive to the effects of radiation and/or antimetabolite chemotherapy and skills included in established measures of executive functioning. The CCSS-NCQ was developed by selecting a subset of items represented in an investigational version of the Brief Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult (BRIEF-A), to which additional items were added.…”

Neuro-cognitive sequelae of the treatment of brain tumors among children and adolescents, and the possibilities for neuro-rehabilitation with a case report

“…Preporuka COG grupe je da standardizovane i kratke baterije neuropsihološke procene budu implementirane u pedijatrijske onkološke protokole a samim tim i primenljive i dostupne u pedijatrijskim onkološkim centrima u kojima se leče i prate deca i mladi jer postojeće skale za procenu dečije inteligencije samo su u pojedinim subskalama primerene za ovu specifičnu vrstu neuropsihološke procene [16,48,51]. Primer takve baterije je The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Neurocognitive Questionnaire koja predstavlja brzi neuropsihološki skrining koji pravi dobru selekciju dece i mladih za dalja i detaljnija neuropsihološka testiranja i programe rehabilitacije [52].…”

“…Rehabilitacija dece i adolescenata nakon lečenja tumora CNS-a a neurokognitivna rehabilitacija posebno, iziskuje angažovanje i multidisciplinarnu saradnju velikog broja stručnjaka (specijaliste pedijatrijske rehabilitacije, radne terapeute, fizioterapeute, logopede, nutricioniste, sestre specijalizovane za pedijatrijsku rehabilitaciju, kliničke psihologe, neuropsihologe, socijalne radnike, učitelje i nastavnike) koji timski procenjuju stepen oštećenja na individualnom nivou sa različitih aspekata i prave program oporavka koji rezultira opštim programom rehabilitacije i specifičnim programom neurokognitivne rehabilitacije [52,53].…”