title: The effects of the anti-cancer drugs, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil, on cognitive function in mice.
abstract: There is evidence that standard-dose chemotherapy may impact cognitive function in cancer patients. The present study evaluated the effects of a combination of two anti-cancer drugs, methotrexate (37.5 mg/kg) and 5-fluorouracil (5FU, 75 mg/kg) on cognitive function in a mouse model. Drug-induced deficits were observed in adult BALB/C mice on tests of spatial memory, non-matching-to-sample (NMTS) learning and in a delayed-NMTS test of non-spatial memory. There were no group differences on tests of cued memory or discrimination learning. Performance-related variables were ruled out as possible explanations of the observed impairments. The impaired performance of the drug group, which was consistent with cognitive deficits observed in human cancer patients treated with similar types of chemotherapy, was attributed to functional changes in specific brain regions, including the frontal lobes and hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. gwinocur@rotman-baycrest.on.ca
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winocur
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vardy
authors.forename: Malcolm A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Binns
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tannock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate