Subjective executive dysfunction in patients with primary brain tumors and their informants: relationships with neurocognitive, psychological, and daily functioning

ABSTRACT

Objective

We assessed agreement between patient- and informant-report on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Adult (BRIEF-A) in patients with primary brain tumors (PBT) and differences on BRIEF-A in neurocognitive (intact v. impaired), psychological (asymptomatic v. distressed), and functional (independent v. dependent) categories using both patient- and informant-report.

Method

PBT patients (n = 102) completed neuropsychological evaluations including the BRIEF-A, clinical interview, neurocognitive tests, and mood questionnaires. Correlations between the BRIEF-A and Informant (n = 39) were conducted. Differences in patient and informant BRIEF-A indices were investigated across five classifications: neurocognitive functioning, psychological functioning, medication management, appointment management, and finance management.

Results

Patient and informant BRIEF were correlated. There was no difference on BRIEF-A or Informant indices for intact v. impaired neurocognitive status. Higher BRIEF-A and Informant indices were observed among psychologically distressed v. asymptomatic patients. Results showed higher BRIEF indices among those requiring assistance with medication, appointments, and finances.

Conclusions

Patients and informants agreed in their reports of executive function (EF). These reports, while not different in neurocognitive classification, were different in psychological functioning and in those needing assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Patient- and informant-reported EF may provide important data regarding psychological and IADL functioning in this population.

KEYWORDS:

• BRIEF-adult
• BRIEF-informant
• primary brain tumor
• neuro-oncology
• executive functioning
• instrumental activities of daily living

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the patients for whom we hope this work may benefit one day in the near future. We would also like to thank Audrey Villanueva for her dedicated time as a research assistant on this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CTSA award No. KL2TR002648 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.