Prevalence and Predictors of Self-Reported Neuropsychological Impairment in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) - Impact On Return to Work After HCT.

The growing population of HCT survivors may be at risk for neuropsychological impairment due to exposure to neurotoxic agents. HCT survivors frequently report problems with memory and attention (Cancer 2002;95:183-192), and even though the patients are acutely aware of neuropsychological declines, these changes do not correlate well with impairment on standardized neuropsychological assessments (Bone Marrow Transplant 2005;36:695-702). This discrepancy suggests that the tests may not be sensitive enough to detect subtle changes that could nonetheless impact patients' societal reintegration, highlighting the importance of self-report instruments. The present study aims to assess the longitudinal trajectory of self-reported neuropsychological impairment in patients from pre-HCT to 1 year post-HCT; to evaluate the impact of demographic and clinical factors on self-reported neuropsychological impairment; to examine the relationship between self-reported neuropsychological impairment data and objective data collected using standardized assessments; and to understand the relationship between self-reported impairment and return to work. Participants were 182 adult patients undergoing HCT for hematological malignancies. Mean age at HCT was 50 years (range, 18-73); 60% were males; 68% were non-Hispanic whites; 62% received autologous HCT. Patients completed a 2-hour battery of standardized neuropsychological tests (domains: processing speed; immediate, general, and working memory; cognitive reserve; executive function) and a self-reported Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS – scales: Global Measure of Impairment [GMI, an overall summary score], Cognitive Efficiency [COG], Attention [ATT], Memory [MEM], Learning-Verbal [L-V], Academic Skills [ACD]). Self-reported information on return to work was obtained at 6 months and 1 year after HCT. Demographic (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, marital status) and clinical data (diagnosis, donor source, risk of relapse, conditioning exposures) were collected. Raw scores were converted to t-scores using normative data; individuals with t-scores above 1 SD of the normative distribution were classified as impaired. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine longitudinal trends. The prevalence of domain-specific impairment at specified time points is shown in the Table. After adjusting for significant covariates, GMI worsened at 6 months and plateaued thereafter (p=0.04) and ATT worsened at 6 months but returned to baseline at 1 year (p=0.006) (Figure). Multivariate analyses revealed the following risk factors: at pre-HCT: female gender and less than high school education (higher MEM impairment, p=0.03, p=0.05, respectively); at both 6 months and 1 year post-HCT: annual household income less than $20,000 (higher GMI impairment, p=0.02); exposure to total body irradiation (TBI: higher COG impairment, p=0.006, and higher ATT impairment, p=0.05); female gender (p=0.05) and 4-year college education (p=0.058) (higher MEM impairment). Correlations between NIS scores and standardized assessments were weak (range, r= -0.3 to 0.09). At 6 months, 57% of the patients had not returned to work. Patients with COG impairment were less likely to return to work (p=0.05), while patients with higher cognitive reserve were more likely to return to work (p=0.03). These results suggest that a significant proportion of patients undergoing HCT report neuropsychological impairment that may not be readily captured by standardized assessments. The present study identifies low household income, TBI, female gender, and college education as risk factors and describes the impact of self-reported neuropsychological impairment on the ability to return to work. This study therefore helps characterize a vulnerable population that needs to be followed closely for appropriate intervention to ensure appropriate societal reintegration after HCT.