Measurement of Cognitive Function in Exercise Oncology Studies in Patients Treated With Chemotherapy: A Scoping Review


Author: Crisann Moon1, Rebekah L Wilson2,3, Paola Gonzalo-Encabo2,3, Dong-Woo Kang2,3, Sara Mithani1, Christina M Dieli-Conwright2,3, Darpan I Patel4

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.

<sup>2</sup> Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

<sup>3</sup> Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

<sup>4</sup> University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA.
Conference/Journal: Integr Cancer Ther
Date published: 2024 Jan-Dec
Other:
 Volume ID: 23   ,  Pages: 15347354241265349   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1177/15347354241265349.   ,  Word Count: 276  
    Cancer-associated cognitive deficits following chemotherapy have received increased attention in clinical research. Exercise has been shown to preserve cognitive function in cancer patients, though the overall effect is mixed. Here we present a scoping review of the published literature summarizing methods used to assess cognitive function in exercise oncology trials. Methods: PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases were searched using keywords "cognition," "cancer" OR "neoplasm" OR "tumor," "chemotherapy" and "exercise" OR "physical activity." Studies eligible for inclusion include prospective studies that were published in English in peer-reviewed journals that include a method of assessing cognitive function in adult cancer patients, in which an exercise modality or method of quantifying exercise habits was evident. Studies were excluded if they included a pediatric population, patients that were not diagnosed with cancer, or were systematic/narrative/scoping reviews, protocol papers or dissertation/theses. Results: A total of 29 studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, 29 unique assessments were used to evaluate cognitive function, including patient-reported outcomes (PROs; n = 8) and objective (n = 21) methods. More than half (n = 17) of included studies relied on PROs while 12 studies utilized objective measures of cognitive function Cognitive domains of the PROs were limited in scope, focusing on memory and attention/concentration while the objective measures were broader and inclusive of multiple domains. Conclusion: The results of this review indicate that mixed approaches to evaluating cognitive function in cancer patients pose a major limitation to understanding the role of exercise as an integrative approach. The evidence demonstrates a need for more uniform assessment of cognitive function in exercise oncology trials.



Keywords: Qigong; breast cancer; cognitive impairment; exercise; fatigue; memory; oncology; physical activity; prostate cancer; resistance training.



PMID: 39045709 DOI: 10.1177/15347354241265349