Opening up the Window into “Chemobrain”: A Neuroimaging Review

Sensors

Carole S. Scherling¹ 

[1] Memory and Aging Center, Neurology, UCSF, Sandler Neuroscience Center, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA

关键词: chemotherapy;    cognitive impairment;    chemobrain;    neuroimaging;    cancer survivorship issues;   

DOI  :  10.3390/s130303169

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

As more chemotherapy-treated cancer patients are reaching survivorship, side-effects such as cognitive impairment warrant research attention. The advent of neuroimaging has helped uncover a neural basis for these deficits. This paper offers a review of neuroimaging investigations in chemotherapy-treated adult cancer patients, discussing the benefits and limitations of each technique and study design. Additionally, despite the assumption given by the chemobrain label that chemotherapy is the only causative agent of these deficits, other factors will be considered. Suggestions are made on how to more comprehensively study these cognitive changes using imaging techniques, thereby promoting generalizability of the results to clinical applications. Continued investigations may yield better long-term quality of life outcomes by supporting patients' self-reports, and revealing brain regions being affected by chemotherapy.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.