title: A pilot study of prospective memory functioning in early breast cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate prospective memory (PM) functioning in early breast cancer (BC) survivors and its association with fatigue and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Memory for Intention Screening Test, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue subscale were administered to 80 patients and 80 aged-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients performed more poorly than controls on the memory test (p < 0.001) and had a higher rate of impairment (odds ratio = 5.5, p < 0.01). Fatigue mediated the relationship between Group membership and PM performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BC survivors exhibited a clear pattern of PM deficit and fatigue was a major contributor to this deficit. This suggests that a common mechanism may be involved in fatigue symptoms and memory disturbances experienced by patients. Further research is needed to evaluate the role of adjuvant therapy in PM deficits and to explore whether interventions targeted at improving fatigue may also improve memory functioning in BC survivors.
authors: Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Lise
authors: L
authors: Paquet
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Collins
authors: Xinni
authors: X
authors: Song
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Chinneck
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Bedard
authors: Shailendra
authors: S
authors: Verma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*