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Memory loss during lenalidomide treatment: a report on two cases
Adeline Rollin-Sillaire1, Xavier Delbeuck, Marianne Pollet
1Univ Lille Nord de France, UDSL, Lille F-59000, France. adeline.rollin@chru-lille.fr
BMC Pharmacology & Toxicology
|August 14, 2013
Summary
Lenalidomide can cause significant cognitive impairment, particularly affecting memory, in multiple myeloma patients. Early detection and drug withdrawal may help in recovery from these chemotherapy side effects.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cognitive dysfunction is frequently reported in patients undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapies, often termed "chemo brain" or "chemo fog".
- Various antineoplastic agents are implicated in causing these neurotoxic effects.
Observation:
- Two male patients with multiple myeloma experienced severe, rapidly progressing cognitive impairment, primarily affecting episodic memory, during lenalidomide treatment.
- Both patients also lost independence in daily living activities due to the cognitive decline.
Findings:
- Withdrawal of lenalidomide led to full cognitive recovery and restoration of daily living independence in one patient.
- The second patient experienced persistent mild cognitive impairment after drug withdrawal.
- Naranjo scale scores indicated a probable causal link between lenalidomide and the observed adverse cognitive events.
Implications:
- Lenalidomide may induce specific cognitive disorders, especially episodic memory deficits, in susceptible patients.
- Risk factors such as prior chemotherapy, pre-existing mild cognitive impairment, advanced age, and cerebrovascular lesions may increase susceptibility to lenalidomide's neurotoxicity.
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