Pilot Feasibility Study Examining Pupillary Response During Driving Simulation as a Measure of Cognitive Load in Breast Cancer Survivors

Objectives: To test the feasibility of adding driving simulation tasks to measure visuospatial ability and processing speed to an existing neurocognitive battery for breast cancer survivors (BCSs).

Sample & Setting: 38 BCSs and 17 healthy controls from a cross-sectional pilot study conducted at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Methods & Variables: Exploratory substudy measuring pupillary response, visuospatial ability, and processing speed during two 10-minute driving simulations (with or without n-back testing) in a sample of BCSs with self-reported cognitive complaints and healthy controls.

Results: Feasibility of measurement of pupillary response during driving simulation was demonstrated. No between-group differences were noted for pupillary response during driving simulation. BCSs had greater visuospatial ability and processing speed performance difficulties than healthy controls during driving simulation without n-back testing and slower n-back response time.

Implications for Nursing: Preliminary evidence showed a possible link between cancer/treatment on visuospatial ability and processing speed in BCSs.