Social cognition and occupational reintegration in primary central nervous system lymphoma long-term survivors: a secondary analysis of a combined data set

Abstract

Objective

Although sociocognitive impairment is linked to failure of occupational reintegration in other clinical populations, less is known on the association of sociocognitive functioning and occupational reintegration in brain tumor patients such as primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

Methods

Twenty PCNSL patients with ongoing complete response to therapy for at least one year were evaluated of whom eight resumed work. The association between occupational status, empathy, alexithymia and social problem solving was analyzed.

Results

Employed and non-employed patients were significantly different in their ability to provide appropriate solutions for social situations even when accounting for neurocognition. Decreased quality of life was associated with sociocognitive impairment.

Conclusions

Although the results must be replicated in larger, more representative populations, this exploratory analysis tentatively adds facets to the literature on occupational reintegration in brain tumor patients. Forthcoming psychosocial research and clinical practice may target sociocognitive impairment when addressing reintegration after neuro-oncological treatment.

Keywords:

• brain tumor
• neurocognition
• occupational reintegration
• primary central nervous system lymphoma
• quality of life
• social cognition

Statements and declarations

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Milena Pertz. Data collection of a subset was done by Greta Wiemann. Patient recruitment was supported by Thomas Kowalski and Sabine Seidel. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Milena Pertz and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Consent to participate

Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the studies.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [M.P.] upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval

All procedures performed in the studies were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee (local ethics board of the medical faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, reference number 17-6238-BR and 18-6386) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.