Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Neuroscience
• Cardiology
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Chemotherapy for breast cancer (BC) frequently causes cognitive impairment and cardiac dysfunction.
• No established interventions currently exist to counteract these chemotherapy-induced side effects.
• Yoga, recognized for its cognitive and cardiac benefits, presents a potential complementary therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an 18-week yoga regimen on cognitive function and cardiac health in BC patients undergoing chemotherapy.
• To assess changes in cognitive domains, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cortisol, heart rate variability (HRV), and echocardiographic parameters.

Main Methods:

• 150 BC patients were randomized into a Treatment as Usual (TAU) group (n=75) or a TAU with Yoga (TAUY) group (n=75).
• The TAUY group engaged in an 18-week integrated yoga program including asanas, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation.
• Cognitive function, BDNF, cortisol, HRV, echocardiography, perceived stress, and Quality of Life were assessed pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy.

Main Results:

• The yoga group maintained cognitive function, showing improvements in attention, working memory, and mental speed, unlike the control group which experienced decline.
• Serum BDNF levels were higher in the yoga group, correlating positively with cognitive performance.
• The yoga group demonstrated enhanced autonomic balance (inversely correlated emotional function with LF/HF ratio) and reduced perceived stress and cortisol levels.

Conclusions:

• An 18-week yoga regimen effectively alleviates chemotherapy-induced cognitive and cardiac issues in breast cancer patients.
• Yoga promotes cognitive preservation and improves cardiac autonomic balance, offering a valuable complementary approach.
• Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore optimal yoga protocols.