title: Memory and Spatial Cognition in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is generally accepted that estrogens play a protective role in cognitive function. Therefore, it can be expected that subtotal estrogen deprivation following aromatase inhibition will alter cognitive performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study we investigated 80 postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Memory and spatial cognition were compared across 4 treatment groups: tamoxifen only (TAM, n = 22), aromatase inhibitor only (AI, n = 22), TAM followed by AI ('SWITCH group', n = 15), and patients with local therapy (LT) only (surgery and radiation, n = 21). Duration of the 2 endocrine monotherapy arms prior to the assessment ranged from 1 to 3 years. The 'SWITCH group' received 2-3 years TAM followed by at least 1 year and at most 3 years of AI. Memory and spatial cognition were investigated as planned comparisons. Investigations of processing speed, attention, executive function, visuoconstruction and self-perception of memory were exploratory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With regard to general memory, AI patients performed significantly worse than the LT group (p = 0.013). Significant differences in verbal memory did not remain significant after p-value correction for multiple testing. We found no significant differences concerning spatial cognition between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AI treatment alone significantly impairs general memory compared to the LT group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Berndt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leplow
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Robby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schoenfeld
authors.affiliation: St. Elisabeth Hospital, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Tilmann
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lantzsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grosse
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomssen
keywords: Aromatase inhibitor; Breast cancer; Memory; Oncology; Spatial cognition; Tamoxifen