A new study published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Oncology’ showed that exercise reduces cancer-related brain fog and cognitive decline known as ‘chemo brain’.
Physical activity has long been a promising intervention for improving mental sharpness and general cognition. This study aimed to understand its application in breast cancer patients going through chemotherapy who were experiencing cancer-related, and treatment associated decline in brain function and cognitive ability.
This prospective study was done in two age-matched groups at equivalent time points – the first group consisted of patients with breast cancer, and the second group was a cancer-free control group.
Physical activity was measured using certain standardised metrics and cognitive functioning was considered through both perceived and objectively measured rubrics of cognitive functioning. These measures were taken before chemotherapy, after chemotherapy, and a follow-up 6 months post-chemotherapy. The data collected was analysed for changes over time for both groups, adjusting for potential confounding factors such as the demographic and clinical factors.
It was found that in patients with stage I to III breast cancer, the patients that met the guidelines for physical activity demonstrated better objective cognitive scores over time, with nearly identical patterns of cognitive function as the control group. Furthermore, it was noted that patients who had participated in more moderate-to-high impact physical activity at the previous time points had significantly better cognitive trajectories throughout chemotherapy and even self-reported with better cognition.
This study validates the hypothesis that adhering to physical activity guidelines before and during chemotherapy corresponds with better cognitive function during chemotherapy and gives way for a favourable trajectory of cognition in the future as well.
Source:Salerno EA, Culakova E, Kleckner AS, Heckler CE, Lin PJ, Matthews CE, Conlin A, Weiselberg L, Mitchell J, Mustian KM, Janelsins MC. Physical Activity Patterns and Relationships With Cognitive Function in Patients With Breast Cancer Before, During, and After Chemotherapy in a Prospective, Nationwide Study. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Oct 10;39(29):3283-3292.
Source link: https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.20.03514
Know the cancer – Breast cancer treatment
Previous :AI Can Help Diagnose Breast Cancer Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis