title: Cognitive effects of cytotoxic cancer chemotherapy: predisposing risk factors and potential treatments.
abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that systemic cancer chemotherapy can have significant long-term effects on cognition, particularly on verbal learning, memory, attention, and speed of information processing. These deficits can be a source of significant distress to survivors. There is much less known about the mechanisms, predisposing vulnerabilities, and treatment of these deficits. We will summarize current knowledge of chemotherapy-associated cognitive deficits. Emerging theories about the role of selected genetic polymorphisms in heightening the vulnerability to chemotherapy-induced cognitive decline will be described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. thomas.w.mcallister@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: Tim A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ahles
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Saykin
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Brenna C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Lionel D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Flashman
authors.forename: C Harker
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors