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Computer-based assessment of cognitive functions in brain tumor patients

  • Clinical Study – Patient Study
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Abstract

NeuroCogFX is a short yet comprehensive computer-based neuropsychological battery of tests developed to investigate neurological patients for cognitive dysfunction after potentially neurotoxic therapy. NeuroCogFX had been standardized in a group of 242 healthy controls (Fliessbach et al., Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 74:643–650, 2006). The present study was conducted to assess the practicability, reliability, and validity of NeuroCogFX in brain tumor patients without active disease after tumor-directed therapy. To evaluate its validity, neuropsychological testing with NeuroCogFX was completed parallel to a battery of established neuropsychological tests in 54 patients with different types of brain tumors and without active disease for at least 6 months. Retest reliability was assessed in a different sample of 49 patients with gliomas. Results showed good practicability with a median test duration of 28 min (range 16–51 min). Most subtests showed medium-sized retest reliability in healthy controls and tumor patients, with the exception of the 2-back test and reaction time measures in tumor patients. Convergent validity was confirmed for the domains psychomotor speed, verbal memory, and verbal short-term memory. NeuroCogFX enables serial scientific neuropsychological assessment of brain tumor patients. It can be carried out within a short period of time by non-academic personnel and is therefore applicable to large cohorts, e.g., within clinical trials.

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Conflict of Interest Statement

With kind permission of the University of Bonn Medical Centre NeuroCogFX is marketed by three of the authors (C. Hoppe, K. Fliessbach, C. Helmstaedter).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany

    Klaus Fliessbach, Christian Hoppe & Christoph Helmstaedter

  2. Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum-Langendreer, Department of Neurology, Ruhr University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany

    Sabine Rogowski & Uwe Schlegel

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Michael Sabel & Mathias Goeppert

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Missionsstr. 62A, 4055, Basel, Switzerland

    Pasquale Calabrese

  5. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Gabriele Schackert

  6. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Joerg-Christian Tonn

  7. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany

    Matthias Simon

Authors
  1. Klaus Fliessbach
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  2. Sabine Rogowski
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  3. Christian Hoppe
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  4. Michael Sabel
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  5. Mathias Goeppert
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  6. Christoph Helmstaedter
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  7. Pasquale Calabrese
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  8. Gabriele Schackert
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  9. Joerg-Christian Tonn
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  10. Matthias Simon
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  11. Uwe Schlegel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Uwe Schlegel.

Additional information

This study was conducted on behalf of The German Glioma Network.

K. Fliessbach and S. Rogowski contributed equally to this study.

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Fliessbach, K., Rogowski, S., Hoppe, C. et al. Computer-based assessment of cognitive functions in brain tumor patients. J Neurooncol 100, 427–437 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-010-0194-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-010-0194-9

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