Neurophysiological Markers of Cancer-Related Fatigue Derived from High-Density EEG

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomarkers
• Cancer Survivorship

Background:

• Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) significantly impacts cancer survivors' quality of life.
• Objective diagnostic markers and neurophysiological mechanisms of CRF are not well understood.
• Noninvasive biomarkers are needed for accurate CRF diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG)-based biomarkers for cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
• To examine cortical activity and functional connectivity in cancer survivors with CRF.
• To differentiate between cancer survivors with CRF and healthy controls using EEG.

Main Methods:

• High-density resting-state and task-related EEG were recorded during repetitive elbow flexions until exhaustion.
• Participants included 10 cancer survivors with CRF and 14 healthy controls.
• Analysis involved event-related desynchronization (ERD) and debiased weighted phase-lag index (dwPLI) for functional connectivity.

Main Results:

• Alpha-band ERD showed significant group and fatigue level effects during the task.
• Reduced inter-regional connectivity (M1, prefrontal) was observed in the CRF group.
• Reduced alpha-band connectivity strength, particularly involving the right supramarginal gyrus, was found in the CRF group.
• Elevated resting-state delta-band activity was noted in CRF survivors, potentially indicating chronic fatigue.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state EEG, motor activity-related ERD, and functional brain connectivity show promise as objective biomarkers for CRF.
• These findings support the clinical relevance of EEG in diagnosing CRF.
• Further research in larger cohorts is needed to validate these biomarkers and inform personalized interventions for CRF.