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Background: Previous findings regarding declines in cognitive functioning among patients with breast cancer (BC) before and after chemotherapy have been inconsistent. The present study explored the effect of BC and cancer-related chemotherapies on cognitive functioning. Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted to compare BC patients before their chemotherapy treatment, BC patients 3 ~ 9 months after the completion of chemotherapy, and noncancer controls. Evaluations of cognitive functioning included subjective and objective dimensions, with focus on memory, executive functioning, attention, and language. ANCOVA and Pearson's correlation analysis were used to examine the relationship among cancer, chemotherapy, cognitive performance, and psychological distress. Results: After adjustment for intelligence quotient, anxiety, and depression, we found significant differences in the Semantic Association of Verbal Fluency between post-chemotherapy (C/T) patients and noncancer controls. Specifically, post-C/T patients scored lower than controls (p = 0.03, η2 = 0.07). No significant differences were found in other objective cognitive measures. However, both subjective and objective cognitive scores were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and fatigue. In BC patients, levels of anxiety were positively correlated with measures of executive function. Among pre-C/T patients, self-perceived interference by fatigue was positively associated with better performances in some of the objective cognitive measures. Conclusion: Our findings suggest cognitive impairments in the domain of executive functioning among patients with BC who received chemotherapy. Providing relevant suggestions or strategies of managements for these negative consequences may help increase the long-term quality of life of patients with BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between hyponatremia, depression symptoms, and cognitive impairments in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the impact of past‐year average serum sodium levels on current depression symptoms and cognitive impairments in patients receiving hemodialysis, with adjustment for possible confounders. A total of 200 participants were recruited for this study. Depression symptoms and cognitive impairments were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire and Perceived Deficits Questionnaire‐5, respectively. Additionally, sociodemographic features, physical health, metabolic factors, and substance use information were collected. Significant associations between serum sodium levels, depression symptoms, and cognitive impairments were found after multivariate regression analysis. Furthermore, such differences were observed profoundly in moderate to profound hyponatremia. Our study revealed exclusive relationships between hyponatremia, depression symptoms, and cognitive impairments. As such, programs of cognitive rehabilitation and emotional regulation should be included in the prevention of chronic kidney disease for moderate to profound hyponatremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although post-traumatic growth (PTG) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) might develop and coexist after a major trauma, few studies have simultaneously examined them in patients with breast cancer. This study investigated the correlation between PTG and PTSS and their differential correlates in patients with breast cancer. Patients and methods: Overall, 145 patients with breast cancer were recruited. PTG and PTSS were assessed using the PTG inventory and the Chinese version of startle, physiological arousal, anger, and numbness, respectively. We investigated the effects of demographics, chemotherapy, depression, family support, alexithymia, and anxiety symptoms on PTG and PTSS. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to select the independent correlates of PTSS and PTG. Result: An association was observed between PTG and PTSS (r = 0.21). Based on multiple regression models, the common correlate of PTG (β = 0.271) and PTSS (β = 0.212) was anxiety symptoms. Differential independent correlates were years of education (β = 0.272), receiving chemotherapy (β = 0.248), and family support (β = 0.259) for PTG, and chronic pain (β = 0.316) and poor cognition (β = −0.350) for PTSS. Conclusion: Differential correlates were observed for PTG and PTSS in patients with breast cancer. Possible mechanisms and relationships between PTG and PTSS were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to compare the effects of chemotherapy and targeted therapy on neuropsychological performance and psychiatric symptoms in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods: A total of 113 patients with NSCLC were recruited. According to their type of cancer treatment, the patients were classified into chemotherapy (n=40), targeted therapy (n=33), and untreated control (n=40) groups. All participants completed five objective tests measuring various domains of cognitive function, a subjective cognitive functioning scale (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Cognitive Function; FACT-cog), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) either within 6 months after diagnosis (for the untreated group) or about 18 months after treatment. Results: Overall, there were no significant intergroup differences in the proportions of patients with abnormal cognitive performance and psychiatric disturbances. Among the untreated NSCLC patients, 35% had impaired performance in at least one cognitive domain, and a comparable finding (30%–35%) was made for the other two treatment groups. The proportion of patients with impaired psychomotor speed was the highest (10%–15%) across various cognitive domains. Moreover, a significant proportion of NSCLC patients (15%–20%) exhibited HADS-defined anxiety and depression disorder. Finally, significant correlations were found between FACT-cog total scores and the HADS Depression subscale across all three groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 1) a substantial proportion of NSCLC patients exhibited cognitive impairments (especially regarding psychomotor speed) and psychiatric disturbances; 2) no significant differences were observed among the three patient groups for any subjective or objective measure of cognitive deficit; and 3) perceived cognitive impairment was significantly associated with depression or anxiety. Prompt treatment of psychiatric disorders to minimize their impact is therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Although cognitive impairments have been complained about in patients with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy, recent research has described possible neurocognitive decline prior to the start of chemotherapy and suggested that inflammatory cytokines may also have been involved. However, inconsistencies have been found in correlations of cognitive impairments with cancer, chemotherapy, and peridiagnostic cytokine levels. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine associations of cognitive functions and levels of cytokines in patients with newly- diagnosed breast cancer before chemotherapy, those that were 3 to 9 months after completing chemotherapy, and non-cancer controls, adjusting for baseline intelligence quotient, mood, and fatigue. We found that the performance in semantic association of verbal fluency in patients post chemotherapy might be affected by the status of cancer, IL-13, and anxiety. Our results indicated that verbal fluency and anxiety may be important when considering relevant psychosocial managements or prophylactic interventions for cognitive preservation associated with regulations in cytokines. Background: We aimed to investigate the associations of breast cancer (BC) and cancer-related chemotherapies with cytokine levels, and cognitive function. Methods: We evaluated subjective and objective cognitive function in BC patients before chemotherapy and 3~9 months after the completion of chemotherapy. Healthy volunteers without cancer were also compared as control group. Interleukins (IL) 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12p70, 13, 17A, 1β, IFNγ, and TNFα were measured. Associations of cancer status, chemotherapy and cytokine levels with subjective and objective cognitive impairments were analyzed using a regression model, adjusting for covariates, including IQ and psychological distress. Results: After adjustment, poorer performance in semantic verbal fluency was found in the post-chemotherapy subgroup compared to controls (p = 0.011, η2 = 0.070); whereas pre-chemotherapy patients scored higher in subjective cognitive perception. Higher IL-13 was associated with lower semantic verbal fluency in the post-chemotherapy subgroup. Higher IL-10 was associated with better perceived cognitive abilities in the pre-chemotherapy and control groups; while IL-5 and IL-13 were associated with lower perceived cognitive abilities in pre-chemotherapy and control groups. Our findings from mediation analysis further suggest that verbal fluency might be affected by cancer status, although mediated by anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that verbal fluency might be affected by cancer status, although mediated by anxiety. Different cytokines and their interactions may have different roles of neuroinflammation or neuroprotection that need further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]