Cognitive rehabilitation in patients with gliomas: a randomized, controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with gliomas often experience cognitive deficits, including problems with attention and memory. This randomized, controlled trial evaluated the effects of a multifaceted cognitive rehabilitation program (CRP) on cognitive functioning and selected quality-of-life domains in patients with gliomas.


METHODS
One hundred forty adult patients with low-grade and anaplastic gliomas, favorable prognostic factors, and both subjective cognitive symptoms and objective cognitive deficits were recruited from 11 hospitals in the Netherlands. Patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group or to a waiting-list control group. The intervention incorporated both computer-based attention retraining and compensatory skills training of attention, memory, and executive functioning. Participants completed a battery of neuropsychological (NP) tests and self-report questionnaires on cognitive functioning, fatigue, mental health-related quality of life, and community integration at baseline, after completion of the CRP, and at 6-month follow-up.


RESULTS
At the immediate post-treatment evaluation, statistically significant intervention effects were observed for measures of subjective cognitive functioning and its perceived burden but not for the objective NP outcomes or for any of the other self-report measures. At the 6-month follow-up, the CRP group performed significantly better than the control group on NP tests of attention and verbal memory and reported less mental fatigue. Group differences in other subjective outcomes were not significant at 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The CRP has a salutary effect on short-term cognitive complaints and on longer-term cognitive performance and mental fatigue. Additional research is needed to identify which elements of the intervention are most effective.
Gehring
Karin
K
University Medical Center Utrecht, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Sitskoorn
Margriet M
MM
Gundy
Chad M
CM
Sikkes
Sietske A M
SA
Klein
Martin
M
Postma
Tjeerd J
TJ
van den Bent
Martin J
MJ
Beute
Guus N
GN
Enting
Roelien H
RH
Kappelle
Arnoud C
AC
Boogerd
Willem
W
Veninga
Theo
T
Twijnstra
Albert
A
Boerman
Dolf H
DH
Taphoorn
Martin J B
MJ
Aaronson
Neil K
NK
D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D004522:Educational Status; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005910:Glioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome