Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34390226›Full record

ArticleCancer medicine2021

Cognitive changes and brain connectomes, endocrine status, and risk genotypes in testicular cancer patients-A prospective controlled study.

Cecilie R Buskbjerg, Ali Amidi, Mads Agerbaek, Claus H Gravholt, Sm Hadi Hosseini, Robert Zachariae

Open access · goldAbstract readControlled Clinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Cecilie R BuskbjergUnit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-5997-8973
Ali AmidiUnit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Mads AgerbaekDepartment of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Claus H GravholtDepartment of Endocrinology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Sm Hadi HosseiniDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Robert ZachariaeUnit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Aarhus University · DKAarhus University Hospital · DKStanford Medicine · US

Funding

Aase og Ejnar Danielsens FondC.C. Klestrup & hustru Henriette Klestrups MindelegatFabrikant Einar Willumsens MindelegatFonden til Laegevidenskabens Fremme
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePrevious research has indicated cognitive decline (CD) among testicular cancer patients (TCPs), even in the absence of chemotherapy, but little is known about the underlying pathophysiology. The present study assessed changes in cognitive functions and structural brain connectomes in TCPs and explored the associations between cognitive changes and endocrine status and hypothesized risk genotypes.

methodsThirty-eight newly orchiectomized TCPs and 21 healthy controls (HCs) comparable to TCPs in terms of age and years of education underwent neuropsychological testing, structural MRI, and a biological assessment at baseline and 6 months later. Cognitive change was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and determined using a standardized regression-based approach, with substantial change defined as z-scores ≤-1.64 or ≥1.64. MRI scans and graph theory were used to evaluate changes in structural brain connectomes. The associations of cognitive changes with testosterone levels, androgen receptor gene (AR) CAG repeat length, and genotypes (APOE, COMT, and BDNF) were explored.

resultsCompared with HCs, TCPs showed higher rates of substantial decline on processing speed and visuospatial ability and higher rates of substantial improvement on verbal recall and visuospatial learning (p < 0.05; OR = 8.15-15.84). Brain network analysis indicated bilateral thalamic changes in node degree in HCs, but not in TCPs (p < 0.01). In TCPs, higher baseline testosterone levels predicted decline in verbal memory (p < 0.05). No effects were found for AR CAG repeat length, APOE, COMT, or BDNF.

conclusionsThe present study confirms previous findings of domain-specific CD in TCPs following orchiectomy, but also points to domain-specific improvements. The results do not indicate changes in brain connectomes or endocrine status to be the main drivers of CD. Further studies evaluating the mechanisms underlying CD in TCPs, including the possible role of the dynamics of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, are warranted.

Indexed as

AdultBrainCase-Control StudiesCognitionCognitive DysfunctionConnectomeHealthy VolunteersHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsOrchiectomyProspective StudiesReceptors, AndrogenTesticular NeoplasmsAR protein, humanReceptors, AndrogenTestosteroneclinical cancer researchgenetic variantssurvivalurological oncology

Identifiers

PMID34390226
PMCPMC8446403
OpenAlexW3192483007

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.