title: Clinical usefulness of the Frontal Assessment Battery at bedside (FAB) for elderly cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of elderly cancer patients has been rising in recent years, and decreases in cognitive function are reportedly seen in 25-50% of these patients. However, no validated and practical tests are available for the assessment of cognitive function in cancer patients. Age and the effects of cancer treatment have been pointed out as possible causes of these decreases in cognitive function; in both instances, a strong possibility of a decrease in frontal lobe function exists.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the Frontal Assessment Battery at bedside (FAB), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Barthel Index, and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) to 54 cancer patients who were 65 years of age or older and assessed the clinical usefulness of the FAB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the FAB scores were significantly correlated with the MMSE and IADL scores and were unaffected by the number of years of education. Moreover, when the subjects were divided into two groups according to whether their total FAB score was less than 16 points or 16 points or more, significant differences in the total MMSE scores and the total IADL scores were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these findings and because the FAB sensitively detected decreases in cognitive function, accurately reflected the status of everyday life, and could be performed conveniently and in a short time, we concluded that the FAB may be very useful clinically as a means of evaluating the cognitive function of elderly cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Emi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamura
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D013997:Time Factors