Description of the instruments used for evaluation of the participants
| Instruments | Description | Domains/subscales | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| MoCA36 38 | Test for the rapid screening of mild cognitive impairment—an intermediate clinical state between normal cognitive aging and dementia | Attention and concentration; executive functions; memory; language; visuoconstructional skills; calculations; orientation | Range: 0–30 Higher scores represent better cognitive performance |
| HADS45 46 | Scale with 14 questions assessing anxiety and emotional distress among patients during the previous week | Depression; anxiety | Range (for each subscale): 0–21 Scores greater than or equal to 11 represent a case of anxiety or depression, as applicable |
| PSQI43 44 | Index with 18 questions assessing sleep quality and disturbances during the previous month. | Subjective sleep quality; sleep latency; duration of sleep; habitual sleep efficiency; sleep disorders; use of medications for sleep; daytime dysfunction | Range: 0–21 Scores greater than 5 indicate poor sleep quality |
| QLQ-BR2339 40 | Specific breast cancer scale with 23 questions assessing QoL in patients with breast cancer during the previous week and month | Functional scales: body image; sexual functioning; sexual enjoyment; future perspective Symptom scales/items: systemic therapy side effects; breast symptoms; arm symptoms; concern about hair loss | Range (scales and single-item): 0–100 Higher scores for a functional scale represent a healthy level of functioning. Higher scores for a symptom scale/item represent a higher level of symptomatology/problems |
| QLQ-C3039 41 | Scale with 30 questions assessing QoL in patients with cancer during the previous week | Global health status. Functional scales: physical functioning; role functioning; emotional functioning; cognitive functioning; social functioning. Symptom scales/items: fatigue; nausea and vomiting; pain; dyspnoea; insomnia; appetite loss; constipation; diarrhoea; financial difficulties | Range (scales and single-item): 0–100 Higher scores for the global health status and for a functional scale represent a healthy level of QoL and functioning, respectively. Higher scores for a symptom scale/item represents a higher level of symptomatology/problems |
| BPI48 49 | Questionnaire with 9 items used to evaluate the severity of a patient’s pain and the impact of this pain on the patient’s daily functioning in the past 24 h | Severity of pain; impact of pain on daily function; location of pain; pain medications; amount of pain relief in the past 24 h or the past week | Range (for ‘severity of pain’ and ‘pain interference’): 0–10 Higher scores for ‘severity of pain’ and ‘pain interference’ represent a higher level of pain severity and pain interference, respectively |
| DN447 48 | Test with 4 questions (10 items) for the screening of neuropathic pain | Not applicable | Range: 0–10 Scores greater than or equal to 4 are regarded as indicative of neuropathic pain |
| PDI48 50 | Index with 7 items designed to assess pain-related disability, providing information that complements assessment of physical impairment | Family/home responsibilities; recreation; social activity; occupation; sexual behaviour; self-care; life-support activity | Range: 0–70 Higher scores represent greater disability due to pain |
BPI, Brief Pain Inventory; CIPN, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy; DN4, Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; MOCA, The Montreal Cognitive Assessment; PDI, Pain Disability Index; PSQI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; QLQ-BR23, Breast cancer-specific module of the Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; QLQ-C30, Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; QoL, quality of life.