Chemotherapy and cognitive impairment: An animal model approach

A substantial number of cancer survivors who undergo chemotherapy report cognitive disturbances that severely limit daily function (chemobrain). Despite supportive neuropsychological evidence, there is controversy over whether cognitive impairment is caused by the chemotherapy or is the result of potentially confounding factors that include the disease itself, age, and psychological stress. Our research program, conducted on rodents, has confirmed that a range of cognitive processes, mediated in particular by hippocampal and prefrontal brain regions, are affected by anticancer drugs in combination with tumor development and that many of the effects are long lasting. This work has also provided evidence of protective factors (cognitive reserve, physical exercise, environmental enrichment) and the potential of pharmacological treatment (donepezil) interventions in reducing these effects. (PsycINFO Database Record