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 objective CRF assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

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

Main Methods:

• Recorded high-density resting-state and task-related EEG during repetitive elbow flexions (EFs) until exhaustion.
• Analyzed event-related desynchronization (ERD) in the alpha band (8-12 Hz) during the EF task.
• Estimated functional connectivity using debiased weighted phase-lag index (dwPLI) and analyzed resting-state delta-band (1-4 Hz) activity.

Main Results:

• Significant group and fatigue level effects on alpha-band ERD were observed during the EF task.
• Reduced inter-regional connectivity in M1 and prefrontal regions was found in the CRF group.
• Significantly reduced alpha-band connectivity strength, particularly involving the right supramarginal gyrus, was identified in CRF survivors during mild fatigue.
• Elevated resting-state delta-band activity was observed globally in CRF survivors compared to HC.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state EEG, motor activity-related ERD, and functional brain connectivity show potential as objective biomarkers for CRF.
• These EEG-based measures could aid in the objective diagnosis of CRF.
• Further validation in larger cohorts is needed to develop personalized interventions for CRF.