title: A Brief Patient Self-Report Screening Measure of Cancer Treatment-Related Memory Problems: Latent Structure and Reliability Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Memory can be deleteriously affected by cancer treatment. It is important to quantify these effects, to assess the effectiveness of interventions to ameliorate them, and to monitor changes in cancer patients' memories over time. However, brief and reliable screening measures of cancer treatment-related memory problems are lacking. We report on the latent structure and reliability analysis of a brief patient self-reported cancer-related memory problem screening measure (SRMP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N=781) included in this analysis were part of a larger study on cancer-related fatigue. Patients completed the Fatigue Symptom Checklist (FSCL) at four time points. Five items from the FSCL that assess memory problems were aggregated into the SRMP. Suitability of the data for latent structure analysis was determined using the various criteria: Kaiser-Myer-Olkin, Bartlett's Test of sphericity, Kaiser's simplest criterion test of eigenvalue (λ) >1, and the presence of item-correlation coefficients of r ≥ 0.30. Principal components analysis (PCA) and Cronbach coefficient alphas (αs) were calculated to determined validity and internal consistency of the SRMP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reliability assessment of the SRMP revealed high internal consistency of the SRMP as indicated by α = 0.90. The PCA revealed a one-dimensional measure with a single component with λ > 1 that explained 71% of the variance. The KMO value was .87, and the Bartlett's Test of Sphericity was significant (p < 0.001). Subsequent reliability assessments of the SRMP revealed αsof 0.90 and above, all with one component explaining 71% to 73% of the variances.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the use of the SRMP as a one-dimensional brief screening measure of cancer treatment-related memory problems. The SRMP could be used as an initial indicator of underlying memory problems that may need further examination. Future studies need to establish the construct validity of the SRMP.
authors: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics ; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
authors: Pascal
authors: P
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: University of Rochester Medical Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.
authors: Gary R
authors: GR
authors: Morrow
authors: University of Rochester Medical Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.
authors: Supriya G
authors: SG
authors: Mohile
authors: University of Rhode Island.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Stevenson
authors: University of Rochester Medical Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Fiscella
authors: University of Michigan.
authors: Jennifer J
authors: JJ
authors: Griggs
authors: University of Rochester Medical Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.
authors: Joseph A
authors: JA
authors: Roscoe
authors: University of Rochester Medical Center, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Carroll
authors: Western Regional Community Clinical Oncology Program.
authors: Devinder
authors: D
authors: Singh
authors: Southeast Cancer Control Consortium Community Clinical Oncology Program.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Atkins
authors: Columbus Community Clinical Oncology Program.
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Khanna
keywords: Cancer Treatment and Cognitive Function; Chemotherapy-related Memory Problems; Psychometric Development; Screening Chemobrain
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