Deep Learning and Understanding of Fatigue in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Computational Bio-Medical Psychology Approach (DeFaCT-study) [PhD Project]
The number of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors is rapidly increasing. Majority of CRC survivors experience long-term sequela, with persistent fatigue as the most common and central aspect of cancer symptomatology. Fatigue has an enormous impact as it contributes to a poorer quality of life, increased mortality risk, and lower work participation.
Fatigue is a multicausal and complex phenomenon and is often described as a multi-dimensional concept, consisting of reduced motivation, reduced activity, general, physical, and mental fatigue. Insight into the interconnectedness of the dimensions of fatigue and how they change during cancer (treatment) and beyond is lacking. Factors causing or aggravating fatigue are numerous and diverse including clinical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial factors, but also biological factors such as increased inflammation and a disbalance of the related kynurenine pathway are known for their involvement in fatigue. Factors that may positively impact fatigue, such as physical activity and mindfulness are increasingly researched although in an over-simplified setting, hence not in light of the multi-dimensional and multidisciplinary context.
To reduce fatigue among cancer survivors, we need to personalize care. It is therefore vital to understand why cancer patients become fatigued and why some are at risk of experiencing persistent high levels of fatigue. Concurrent to the multidisciplinary character of fatigue, we need to obtain data for each patient from the psychological, medical, and biological discipline (multi-view data).
In the DeFaCT-study we will use deep learning to understand fatigue among cancer patients using a computational bio-medical psychology approach. Our objectives are 1) To examine how the dimensions of fatigue (reduced motivation, reduced activity, general, physical, and mental fatigue) cluster together and change over time, and 2) To understand the development of fatigue over time using a computational approach combining sociodemographic, clinical, psychological, and biological data.
Team Composition
- Dr. Dounya Schoormans, Tilburg University (Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, MKP). Expert in healthy cancer survivorship specialized in psycho-biological mechanisms.
- Dr. Katrijn Van Deun (Department of Methodology and Statistics, MTO), psychometric and bioinformatic expert in linked and high dimensional data.
- Dr. Floortje Mols (Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, MKP), specialized in psycho-oncology and colorectal cancer, co-founder of PROFILES-registry.
Cross-cutting themes
The Herbert Simon Research Institute for Health, Well-being, and Adaptiveness is a research center devoted to carrying out excellent, state of the art research in order to contribute to healthy and resilient people. We have selected three themes, which involve the collaboration between various Departments and address actual themes in need of both fundamental and applied research.