Gelens, Femke (2022) The Relationship between Mental Fatigue, Information Processing Speed and Complex Attention in Patients with Low Grade Glioma. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Objective: The author’s aim was twofold: (1) to investigate the prevalence and severity of different facets of fatigue and impairments in simple information processing speed, response inhibition and divided attention in patients with low grade glioma (LGG) and (2) to examine the relationship between mental fatigue and these three cognitive functions in patients with LGG. Method: Patients with LGG were assessed with neuropsychological tests measuring simple information processing speed (VTS RT-S1 and RT-S2), response inhibition (VTS RT-S3) and divided attention (VTS DT-S1). Different facets of fatigue were measured with a multidimensional fatigue scale, the Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale (DMFS). Descriptive statistics and between group comparisons were performed. Results: In total, 124 patients with LGG were included. Approximately forty percent of LGG patients reported severe mental fatigue and a high impact of their fatigue on daily life. A quarter reported severe physical fatigue. Regarding cognitive functioning, simple information processing speed was impaired in 1-3% of patients, while frequencies of impairment in response inhibition and divided attention were 21% and 27% respectively. Furthermore, at group level no significant differences were found in mean performance on simple information processing speed, response inhibition and divided attention between severely mental fatigued patients and non-severely mental fatigued patients. However, we found that the percentage of patients with impaired divided attention was significantly higher in the severely mental fatigued group compared to the non-severely mental fatigued group. Conclusions: Patients with low grade glioma show high rates of fatigue, especially in the mental domain. Complex attention was impaired in around a quarter of patients with LGG, while simple information processing speed remained relatively intact. As we only found a relationship between impaired divided attention and severe mental fatigue, results imply that the higher the cognitive load of a test, the larger the difference in performance between severely fatigued and non-fatigued patients. Considering the importance of mental fatigue and complex attention for daily functioning, and following the results of the present study, it is recommended to assess both constructs and its relationship thoroughly in order to develop rehabilitation programs specifically tailored to the needs of patients with LGG.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Buunk, A.M. and Spikman, J.M. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jul 2022 09:38 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jul 2022 09:38 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1183 |
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