# Defining Cognitive Patient Reported Outcomes of Breast Cancer Survivors in the Context of Everyday Functioning and Quality of Life

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2024 · $193,768

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Cancer-related cognitive impairments (CRCI) are some of the most distressing and burdensome effects of
breast cancer and its treatment. When patient reported outcomes (PROs) are used, up to 75% of survivors
report CRCI. Cognitive PROs are accessible, brief, and represent everyday cognitive functioning and quality of
life (QOL). Yet, cognitive PROs have been overlooked as primary outcomes in CRCI research, and there are
no best practices for measurement. To move the science forward, we have to determine which cognitive PRO
best reflects and predicts everyday functioning and QOL. We also need to assess CRCI within the context of
survivors’ real life where competing demands are high and functioning poor. This will facilitate a better
understanding of the individual variations and phenotypes of CRCI that traditional retrospective assessments
may not capture. Doing so will enhance our ability to detect and quantify clinical CRCI, and better measure
intervention effects aimed at improving CRCI. The proposed prospective study will collect data from 124 breast
cancer survivors (BCS, ages 21+) within 1 year of completing chemotherapy (baseline) and again 2 months
later (follow up). Between baseline and follow up data collection, ecological momentary assessments (EMAs)
will be administered daily for 56 days (5 total: current daily activity, self-ratings of anxiety, feelings of
depression, fatigue, cognitive functioning), and mobile cognitive tests (MCTs) for working memory, executive
functioning, processing speed, and memory (4 total) administered every other day. We aim to 1) compare
cognitive PRO predictors of everyday functioning (social function, QOL) across time and 2) determine
longitudinal relationships among real life contextual factors measured by EMAs, MCTs, and cognitive PROs (at
follow up). Considering the importance of PROs in healthcare research and the shift towards precision health
approaches to care, the gaps in knowledge and weaknesses of research using cognitive PROs in CRCI
research to date are critical. The proposed study is innovative in several ways: we will directly compare and
evaluate cognitive PROs based on their ability to predict everyday functioning and QOL which has not been
done before; and we will use a new methodology, intensive longitudinal assessments, to define CRCI and
capture day-to-day within person variability inherent to cognitive processes. Findings from Aim 1 will provide
data to inform instrument choices in CRCI practice and research. Findings from Aim 2 will establish the validity
and reliability of EMAs and MCTs in BCS with CRCI and facilitate accurate and precise measurement of the
lived experience. Both will facilitate rigorous observational and interventional research on CRCI in the future.
Our preliminary studies and previous work strongly support our ability to carry out the proposed study. This
study addresses the health promotion and prevention priority of the National Institute...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10808134
- **Project number:** 5R21NR020497-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashley M. Henneghan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $193,768
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-03-13 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10808134

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10808134, Defining Cognitive Patient Reported Outcomes of Breast Cancer Survivors in the Context of Everyday Functioning and Quality of Life (5R21NR020497-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10808134. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*