UCCS19102 / MAAT-G JIT (Breast) / Magnuson
cancer study
Lead Researcher: Allison Magnuson
Cancer-related cognitive dysfunction (CRCD) affects up to 75% of patients receiving chemotherapy and older adults are at greater risk of developing CRCD, which can negatively affect their functional independence and quality of life. Memory and Attention Adaptation Training (MAAT) is a promising treatment for CRCD that improves perceived cognition in younger cancer survivors, but needs to be adapted for older adults to address their unique needs. The proposed study will adapt MAAT for older adults using feedback from key stakeholders (older adults with cancer and their caregivers), and subsequently test the ability of MAAT to improve or maintain cognition for older adults with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.
More Details:
Eligibility:
Eligible Patient Inclusion Criteria:
Be age 65 or older
Able to provide informed consent. All patients will be assessed using the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC)56 - a score >14.5 will define ability to independently provide informed consent. For patients scoring <14.5, or if investigators have additional concerns, we will require that their health care proxy participate in the consenting process and sign an informed consent and patients will required to provide assent.
Able to read and understand English
Have a prior diagnosis of cancer and completed curative intent chemotherapy. Patients are permitted to be receiving maintenance therapy (e.g. endocrine therapy) in the adjuvant setting.
Have a clinical diagnosis of MCI, a score <26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), or a score <18 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-BLIND (MOCA-BLIND). If the patient had a MOCA evaluation completed as a part of routine clinical care in the preceding 3 months prior to consent date, this may be used for eligibility purposes.
Be independent in Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Eligible Patient Exclusion Criteria:
Have surgery planned within 3 months of consent
Patients who do not have decision-making capacity (as determined by UBACC as described above) AND do NOT have a previously designated health care proxy (established prior to their cognitive impairment) available to sign consent
Have an ADL dependence
Eligible Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:
1. Selected by the patient when asked if there is a "family member, partner, friend or caregiver [age 21 or older] with whom you discuss or who can be helpful in health-related matters;" patients who cannot identify such a person ("caregiver") will remain eligible for the study.
Eligible Caregiver Exclusion Criteria:
1. Caregivers unable to understand the consent form due to cognitive, health or sensory impairment will be excluded