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Chemotherapy-Induced Brain Damage: Mechanisms and Insights from Rodent Models
Milica Veljković1, Tanja Džopalić2, Pavle Ranđelović1
1Department of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Niš, Zoran Đinđić Boulevard 81, 18 000 Niš, Serbia.
Brain Sciences
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Chemotherapy impairs cognitive function, affecting memory and learning in cancer patients. Rodent models reveal neurotoxic effects involving inflammation and oxidative stress, crucial for developing neuroprotective strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, or chemobrain, significantly impacts cancer patients.
- Preclinical rodent models are vital for understanding drug-specific neurotoxicity and mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review animal studies on cognitive dysfunction after chemotherapy.
- To analyze behavioral and cognitive outcomes in rodents treated with common chemotherapeutic agents.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of animal studies.
- Focus on chemotherapeutic agents like doxorubicin, cisplatin, and paclitaxel.
- Examination of rodent models, dosing, and cognitive outcomes.
Main Results:
- Chemotherapy consistently impaired memory, learning, and cognition, even at sub-toxic doses.
- Neurotoxic effects included reduced neurogenesis, dendritic alterations, glial activation, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
- Age, sex, and dosing schedules influenced susceptibility and severity of cognitive deficits.
Conclusions:
- Chemotherapeutic agents impair cognition through inflammation, oxidative stress, and synaptic dysregulation.
- Rodent models demonstrate the translational relevance of studying chemobrain.
- Age, sex, and treatment parameters are critical for neuroprotection strategies.
