Short-term monitoring of cognitive functions before and during the first course of treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Side effects of chemotherapy on cognitive functions in older patients have rarely been investigated. Addressing this lack of research, the present study evaluated cognitive functions in older cancer patients.


METHODS
A total of 130 younger (n=59; age<60) and older (n=71; age>or=60) cancer patients with hematological disease or cancer of the intestinal tract took part in the study. To explore short-term effects of chemotherapy, a group of patients assessed before the start of chemotherapy was compared with patients who already received their first course of chemotherapy.


RESULTS
Cognitive impairments of verbal learning, word fluency, and memory were observed following the first few days after treatment onset. Older patients showed stronger memory impairments after start of chemotherapy than younger cancer patients. Additionally, depression was neither associated with short-term effect of chemotherapy nor with age.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that chemotherapy has negative short-term effects on some cognitive functions. But age-dependent effects were only found for memory.
Eberhardt
Barbara
B
Institute of Psychology, Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Am Steiger 3/1, 07743, Jena, Germany. eberhard@biopsy.uni-jena.de
Dilger
Stefan
S
Musial
Frauke
F
Wedding
Ulrich
U
Weiss
Thomas
T
Miltner
Wolfgang H R
WH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000187:drug effects