Neural underpinnings of the model of cognitive dysfunction in patients with breast cancer and development of cognitive rehabilitation.

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24790653
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine (including Psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: SEKIGUCHI Atsushi 東北大学, 東北メディカル・メガバンク機構, 非常勤講師 (50547289)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SATO Chiho 東北大学, 大学病院, 医員 (50746667) ; TAKEUCHI Hikaru 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 准教授 (50598399)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 脳・神経 / 乳がん / 認知機能障害 / 内分泌療法 / 術後認知機能障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, cognitive dysfunctions in patients with breast cancer have been given attention. In this study, we examined postmenopausal females with breast cancer and age-matched controls. We assessed their cognitive functions and performed brain structural MRI before, shortly after, and 6 months after the surgery. We found the thalamic volume reduction and the attentional dysfunction shortly after surgery as early responses to anesthesia. In addition, these changes in patient without any adjuvant therapy recovered 6 months after surgery, whereas those in patients with an adjuvant hormonal therapy did not. We hypothesized that general anesthesia impacts the brain and its functions in cancer survivors. However, most survivors would recover after surgery if not exposed to other risk factors, including hormonal therapy. As for the cognitive rehabilitation, we failed to find a significant effect of a brain training game on the attentional function in normal elderly subjects.

Free Research Field

内科学一般（含心身医学）