Psycholinguistic Assessment of Cognitive Function in Breast Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVES: To gather preliminary data on correlations among psycholinguistic measures, self-report of cognitive function, and performance on neurocognitive tests in breast cancer survivors. SAMPLE & SETTING: Participants were breast cancer survivors who reported issues with cognitive function after completion of chemotherapy. This secondary analysis used data from participants in parent studies at two National Cancer Institute- designated cancer centers. METHODS & VARIABLES: Qualitative interview transcripts (N = 52) underwent psycholinguistic analyses for grammatical and semantic complexity. Relationships among six psycholinguistic variables, self-report of cognitive function, and performance on neurocognitive tests were examined. RESULTS: Three grammatical complexity variables had a significant positive correlation to self-report of cognitive function. One semantic complexity variable had a significant positive correlation to delayed recall neurocognitive tests. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Results suggest that psycholinguistic analysis may be used to assess cognitive function among breast cancer survivors. Confirmatory studies are needed to establish the correlation between psycholinguistic measures, self-report of cognitive function, and domain-specific tests of neurocognitive performance, as well as to evaluate longitudinal sensitivity to change.