Exploring the influencing factors of subjective cognitive function in patients with advanced cancer pain: a cross-sectional study utilizing latent profile analysis

Subjective cognitive function in patients with advanced cancer pain is frequently overlooked in clinical practice. The study employs latent profile analysis to categorize subjective cognitive function subtypes in patients suffering from advanced cancer pain and examines the factors influencing these subtypes. A survey involving 220 patients with advanced cancer pain utilized a general information questionnaire, the functional assessment of cancer therapy-cognitive (FACT-Cog) scale, the numerical rating scale (NRS), the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7). Latent profile analysis was applied to classify subjective cognitive function, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors for each category. Out of 220 questionnaires, all were valid. The average FACT-Cog score was 90.20 (SD = 22.69), with 24.5% of patients exhibiting cognitive impairment. The PHQ-9 score averaged 9.21 (SD = 6.17), and the GAD-7 score averaged 8.02 (SD = 4.16). Latent profile analysis identified three subjective cognitive function groups: High subjective cognitive function group (7 patients, 3.2%), medium subjective cognitive function group (162 patients, 73.6%), and low subjective cognitive function group (51 patients, 23.2%). Depression, anxiety, age, education level, average 24-hour NRS score, and breakthrough pain frequency were identified as significant influencing factors across the subjective cognitive function profiles. The subjective cognitive function of patients with advanced cancer pain demonstrates distinct classification characteristics, primarily influenced by depression, anxiety, age, education level, pain scores, and the frequency of breakthrough pain. When devising cancer pain management strategies, it is crucial to develop targeted subjective cognitive interventions tailored to the specific profiles of these patients.