Brain Cognition
Project summary
Patients with glioma are at significant risk of cognitive impairment resulting from both the tumor and its treatment. Cognitive deficits may influence patients’ perceptions of their health-related quality of life (HRQOL), yet the relationships between objectively measured cognitive functioning, self-reported cognitive difficulties, and HRQOL have remained insufficiently understood.
This project used data from several EORTC brain tumour clinical trials to investigate cognitive functioning, cognitive awareness, treatment-related factors, and HRQOL in patients with high-grade glioma. The original objectives focused on understanding the relationship between objective and subjective cognitive functioning, the role of awareness of cognitive deficits, the impact of treatment-related factors on cognition, and the value of proxy-reported HRQOL assessments.
The project demonstrated that neurocognitively impaired patients generally remain aware of their cognitive limitations, as evidenced by significant associations between objective neurocognitive performance and self-reported cognitive complaints. Longitudinal analyses further showed that this awareness is maintained throughout the disease course. In addition, treatment-related analyses identified an association between corticosteroid use and poorer neurocognitive functioning, particularly memory performance. Finally, the project evaluated patient-proxy agreement on HRQOL assessments, providing evidence that proxy reports can offer valuable complementary information, particularly in cognitively impaired patients.
Overall, the findings improve the interpretation of cognitive and patient-reported outcomes in neuro-oncology research and clinical practice. The project contributes to a better understanding of the factors influencing HRQOL assessment in glioma patients and supports more informed clinical decision-making and evaluation of patient experiences.
Achievements
See publications below.
Future plans
This study is closed.
For patients
It is common for people having a brain tumour to struggle to concentrate or pay attention as well as not behaving the same as before the tumour. The health-related Quality of Life score measures how physically and mentally someone is feeling during treatment. We want to know if what is happening to them and being aware of it could influence the way patients report their health-related quality of life.
Publications
Caramanna, I., Bottomley, A., Drijver, A. J., Twisk, J., van den Bent, M., Idbaih, A., Wick, W., Pe, M., Klein, M., & Reijneveld, J. C. (2021). Objective neurocognitive functioning and neurocognitive complaints in patients with high-grade glioma: Evidence of cognitive awareness from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer brain tumour clinical trials. European Journal of Cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 144, 162–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EJCA.2020.10.040
Caramanna, I., De Kort, J. M., Brandes, A. A., Taal, W., Platten, M., Idbaih, A., Frenel, J. S., Wick, W., Preetha, C. J., Bendszus, M., Vollmuth, P., Reijneveld, J. C., & Klein, M. (2022). Corticosteroids use and neurocognitive functioning in patients with recurrent glioblastoma: Evidence from European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) trial 26101. Neuro-Oncology Practice, 9(4), 310–316. https://doi.org/10.1093/nop/npac022
Caramanna, I., Klein, M., van den Bent, M., Idbaih, A., Wick, W., Taphoorn, M. J. B., Dirven, L., Bottomley, A., & Reijneveld, J. C. (2022). Neurocognitive impairment and patient–proxy agreement on health-related quality of life evaluations in recurrent high-grade glioma patients. Quality of Life Research, 31(11), 3253–3266. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11136-022-03197-W/METRICS
Caramanna, I., Reijneveld, J. C., Ven, P. M. van de, Bent, M. van den, Idbaih, A., Wick, W., Taphoorn, M. J. B., Dirven, L., Bottomley, A., & Klein, M. (2023). Association between objective neurocognitive functioning and neurocognitive complaints in recurrent high-grade glioma: longitudinal evidence of cognitive awareness from EORTC brain tumor trials. European Journal of Cancer, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EJCA.2023.02.029
Caramanna I, Klein M, van den Bent M, Idbaih A, Taphoorn MJB, Dirven L, Gorlia T, Reijneveld JC; EORTC Quality of Life Group. Neurocognitive impairment and patient-proxy agreement on health-related quality of life evaluations in recurrent high-grade glioma patients. Qual Life Res. 2025 Aug;34(8):2405-2418. doi: 10.1007/s11136-025-03984-1. Epub 2025 Jun 5. PMID: 40471413; PMCID: PMC12274216.