Longitudinal association of subjective prospective and retrospective memory and depression among patients with glioma

Purpose: This study investigated the levels of depression, subjective prospective memory (PM), and subjective retrospective memory (RM) among Chinese glioma patients and explored the bi-directional relationships between depression and memory impairment, including subjective PM and RM. Methods: Seventy-one participants with glioma were assessed for depression, PM, and RM at two time points (Time 1: within 48 h of being hospitalized; Time 2: two weeks after surgery). A cross-lagged path analysis was conducted to examine the bi-directional relationships between depression and memory. Main results: Depression at T1 predicted memory impairment total scores (beta = 0.22, P = 0.011) and RM (beta = 0.29, P < 0.001) at T2. However, depression at TI could not predict PM at T2 (beta = 0.15, P = 0.090). Memory, whether PM or RM, at T1 could not predict depression at T2 beta = 0.07, P = 0.497; beta = 0.00, P = 0.978; beta = 0.06, P = 0.321). Conclusions: Depression can affect RM memory impairment among glioma patients. Oncology nurses should preoperatively screen for depression in glioma patients to identify high-risk groups, for whom emotional interventions and memory training should be carried out to reduce postoperative RM memory impairment.