Neuroscience
From PubMed:
Wefel JS, Lenzi R, Theriault R, Buzdar AU, Cruickshank S, Meyers CA. 'Chemobrain' in breast carcinoma?: A prologue. Cancer. 2004 Aug 1;101(3):466-75.
Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced cognitive dysfunction in patients with breast carcinoma has been described previously. However, those studies only assessed patients' postchemotherapy cognitive functioning and were not able to determine the relation between cognitive function and other treatments, such as surgery and radiotherapy, that often precede systemic chemotherapy. METHODS: Eighty-four women with breast carcinoma underwent a comprehensive neuropsychologic evaluation before receiving adjuvant therapy for nonmetastatic primary breast carcinoma. RESULTS: Before the start of systemic therapy, 35% of women in the current cohort exhibited cognitive impairment. Verbal learning (18%) and memory function (25%) were impaired significantly more frequently relative to normative expectations. Although the impairments were not significant in the women who were examined, nonverbal memory (17%), psychomotor processing speed and attention (13%), confrontational naming (13%), visuoconstruction (13%), and upper-extremity fine motor dexterity (12%) were impaired more frequently than was expected. Affective distress was related significantly to cognitive impairment (Pearson chi-square = 9.90; P = 0.002). Given the conservative statistical approach employed, extent of surgery, hormone replacement therapy history, and current menopausal status failed to achieve statistical significance, but these variables did exhibit provocative trends with respect to cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment frequently is observed before the administration of systemic chemotherapy. Thus, investigations purporting to measure chemotherapy-induced cognitive dysfunction must employ study designs that incorporate prechemotherapy baseline assessments to accurately detect changes in cognitive function that are attributable to chemotherapy.
PMID: 15274059 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Neuropsychological Assessment
A pilot evaluation of a brief non-verbal executive function assessment in Parkinson's disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2013 Jul 4; Hobson PJ, Meara RJ, & Evans RAbstractOBJECTIVE: Screening for cognitive impairment in the clinical...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: "chemo-brain"
Impaired Cognitive Function and Hippocampal Neurogenesis Following Cancer Chemotherapy Clin Cancer Res. 2012 Feb 14; Christie LA, Acharya MM, Parihar VK, Nguyen A, Martirosian V, Limoli CL Abstract PURPOSE: A substantial proportion of breast cancer survivors...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Chronic Congestive Heart Failure And Neuropsychological Function
Vogels RL, Oosterman JM, van Harten B, Scheltens P, van der Flier WM, Schroeder-Tanka JM, & Weinstein HC. Profile of Cognitive Impairment in Chronic Heart Failure. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2007 Aug 28; [Epub ahead of print]. Department...
- Abstract Of The Day: Neuropsychology Of Mild Cognitive Impairment (mci)
Lopez OL, Becker JT, Jagust W, Fitzpatrick A, Carlson M, T DU, Breitner J, Lyketsos C, Jones B, Kawas C, & Kuller LH. Neuropsychological characteristics of mild cognitive impairment subgroups. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2005 Aug...
- Chemo Brain
Jane Gross writes in Sunday's New York Times about chemo brain, in which folks who have received chemotherapy also exhibit signs of severe cognitive impairment. Mostly this is women who’ve received aggressive treatment for breast cancer -- one woman...
Neuroscience
Abstract of the Day
From PubMed:
Wefel JS, Lenzi R, Theriault R, Buzdar AU, Cruickshank S, Meyers CA. 'Chemobrain' in breast carcinoma?: A prologue. Cancer. 2004 Aug 1;101(3):466-75.
Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced cognitive dysfunction in patients with breast carcinoma has been described previously. However, those studies only assessed patients' postchemotherapy cognitive functioning and were not able to determine the relation between cognitive function and other treatments, such as surgery and radiotherapy, that often precede systemic chemotherapy. METHODS: Eighty-four women with breast carcinoma underwent a comprehensive neuropsychologic evaluation before receiving adjuvant therapy for nonmetastatic primary breast carcinoma. RESULTS: Before the start of systemic therapy, 35% of women in the current cohort exhibited cognitive impairment. Verbal learning (18%) and memory function (25%) were impaired significantly more frequently relative to normative expectations. Although the impairments were not significant in the women who were examined, nonverbal memory (17%), psychomotor processing speed and attention (13%), confrontational naming (13%), visuoconstruction (13%), and upper-extremity fine motor dexterity (12%) were impaired more frequently than was expected. Affective distress was related significantly to cognitive impairment (Pearson chi-square = 9.90; P = 0.002). Given the conservative statistical approach employed, extent of surgery, hormone replacement therapy history, and current menopausal status failed to achieve statistical significance, but these variables did exhibit provocative trends with respect to cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment frequently is observed before the administration of systemic chemotherapy. Thus, investigations purporting to measure chemotherapy-induced cognitive dysfunction must employ study designs that incorporate prechemotherapy baseline assessments to accurately detect changes in cognitive function that are attributable to chemotherapy.
PMID: 15274059 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Neuropsychological Assessment
A pilot evaluation of a brief non-verbal executive function assessment in Parkinson's disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2013 Jul 4; Hobson PJ, Meara RJ, & Evans RAbstractOBJECTIVE: Screening for cognitive impairment in the clinical...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: "chemo-brain"
Impaired Cognitive Function and Hippocampal Neurogenesis Following Cancer Chemotherapy Clin Cancer Res. 2012 Feb 14; Christie LA, Acharya MM, Parihar VK, Nguyen A, Martirosian V, Limoli CL Abstract PURPOSE: A substantial proportion of breast cancer survivors...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Chronic Congestive Heart Failure And Neuropsychological Function
Vogels RL, Oosterman JM, van Harten B, Scheltens P, van der Flier WM, Schroeder-Tanka JM, & Weinstein HC. Profile of Cognitive Impairment in Chronic Heart Failure. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2007 Aug 28; [Epub ahead of print]. Department...
- Abstract Of The Day: Neuropsychology Of Mild Cognitive Impairment (mci)
Lopez OL, Becker JT, Jagust W, Fitzpatrick A, Carlson M, T DU, Breitner J, Lyketsos C, Jones B, Kawas C, & Kuller LH. Neuropsychological characteristics of mild cognitive impairment subgroups. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2005 Aug...
- Chemo Brain
Jane Gross writes in Sunday's New York Times about chemo brain, in which folks who have received chemotherapy also exhibit signs of severe cognitive impairment. Mostly this is women who’ve received aggressive treatment for breast cancer -- one woman...