QLIF-18. DIGITAL PHENOTYPING: A NOVEL METHOD FOR QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT IN PATIENTS WITH BRAIN TUMORS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Digital phenotyping (DP) is a novel approach for moment-by-moment quantification of the individual-level human social and behavioral phenotype in-situ using data from personal digital devices. Here, we report the first application of DP in a population of patients with brain tumors. METHODS: Participants installed Beiwe, a smartphone application designed for DP, on their phones. The application collects GPS, Wi-Fi, accelerometer, Bluetooth, text and call logs, voice recordings, and screen activity data, as well as daily pain surveys. Patients were enrolled only if they had radiographically- or pathologically-diagnosed brain tumors. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was used to test for associations between pain and mobility. RESULTS: A total of 191 person-days of data were collected from 8 patients; 38% were men and mean subject age was 54 (range 40-68). Pathology included four pituitary adenomas, two glioblastomas, one low-grade glioma, and one meningioma. Daily survey response rate was 48.2% over a median follow-up of 28.5 days. The average daily score for pain was 4.2. Increased mobility in the 24 hours prior to taking a survey was found to be significantly associated with minor pain (as compared to no pain). Pain was significantly associated with four measures of mobility derived from GPS data. When compared to reporting no pain, mild pain (1 out of 10) was associated with a 9-fold expected increase in the distance traveled (in meters) in the previous 24 hours. Patients showed a 14-fold increase in radius of gyration traveled, a 9-fold increase in maximum diameter traveled, and an 11.5-fold increase in maximum distance traveled from home when comparing mild pain to no pain (all p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Brain tumors significantly impact patient behavior, functional status, and quality of life. DP is a novel method for evaluating those changes, and highlights associations between subjective pain and patient mobility.