Keys not found, a forgotten bank card codethe page from this much-loved, unprintable novel: so many symptoms that can occur following a traumatic event such as cancer. But illness is not the only culprit. The treatment can be too. Doctors call it: brain fog. “This induces a cognitive slowdown, a sort of mental slowness, difficulty concentrating and paying attention, sometimes with the confusion“, explains, during an interview for the media Time last April, Dr Nicolas Neveux, psychiatrist and author of the site e-psychiatrie.fr and the book Practicing Interpersonal Therapy at Dunod.
Disorders which may vary depending on the treatment proposed and the type of cancer. “Radiation therapy to the head, neck or whole body can damage brain cells“, explains the Canadian Cancer Society on its site. With this type of therapy, cognitive disorders usually appear one or two years after radiotherapy, specifies the learned society. “I was constantly looking for my things. I had this feeling of being in a permanent blur“, remembers Marie-Louise, in remission from breast cancer.
“Their results revealed impairments to verbal memory and memory flexibility, and even a reduction in the gray matter of the brain”
Chemotherapy can also cause problems with attention, memory or problem solving. Some treatments can even cause hearing loss. As for hormonal therapy, the reduction in certain hormones play a role in memory. “Estrogen protects nerve cells and cognitive function. A drop in estrogen levels in the body can therefore lead to cognitive impairment,” says the Canadian Society. These cognitive disorders are most often transient, but they can last from 6 months to 10 years.
To understand this phenomenon, scientists have carried out neuropsychological tests as well as neuroimaging examinations in women with breast cancer. “Their results highlighted impaired verbal memory and flexibility of memory, even a reduction in the gray matter of the brain”, reports the scientific media The Conversation.
Drugs modify the permeability of the barrier supposed to protect the brain
One of the theories put forward by the researchers: the inflammatory process generated by the treatments. “The medicines modify the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, a structure which functions to protect the brain against harmful agentswhich would lead to the passage of substances which are normally retained by this barrier”, underlines the scientific media.
Anything that helps exercise memory is beneficial
Today, doctors specializing in oncology take this issue better into account. Among the different therapies, physical activity is the one that presents the most results: walking, running, dancing, cycling, everything is good as long as It allows you to clear your mind.
Brain games such as puzzles, sudoku or crosswords seem to demonstrate their effectiveness. Establishing rituals can also bear fruit. The Luxembourg Hospital Center’s breast cancer blog gives some examples: group the items on the shopping list according to their categoriesuse memory aids such as a diary, or, when leaving the car in a parking lot, take ten seconds to find a reference point to find it when you exit.
The cognitive remediation to treat “brain fog”
Cognitive remediation uses exercises to address brain processes such as memory, attention, and executive functions. The exercises offered in groups or during individual sessions are generally fun. These can be collective games.
“This approach is based on neuroplasticity, that is to say the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new connectionswhich is essential to recover and improve cognitive functions. These innovations aim to recover affected capacitieswhich offers hope and significantly improves the quality of life of those affected,” explains The Conversation. However, there is still a way to go to finally take care of all the aspects that revolve around cancer.
