for those asking about new research about the origins/effects of chemobrain
 

Clin Neurophysiol. 2007 Dec 27 [Epub ahead of print]
ERP amplitude and latency in breast cancer survivors treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Kreukels BP, Hamburger HL, de Ruiter MB, van Dam FS, Ridderinkhof KR, Boogerd W, Schagen SB.
Department of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE: Neurocognitive problems that were observed in a number of breast cancer survivors treated with adjuvant chemotherapy initiated a series of EEG studies to examine the neurophysiological basis of these deficits. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of various regimens of adjuvant chemotherapy on the N1 and P3 component of the event-related potential (ERP) in breast cancer patients 3-6 years after treatment. METHODS: Fifty-three breast cancer patients treated with various chemotherapy regimens were compared to 23 stage I breast cancer patients not treated with chemotherapy. An auditory oddball task was used to study the amplitude, latency and structure of the potential field of the N1 and P3. RESULTS: Patients treated with chemotherapy showed lower P3 amplitudes than patients not treated with chemotherapy. Differences were also observed in P3 latency between patients treated with different chemotherapy regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a general effect of all chemotherapy regimens under study on P3 amplitude and a more specific chemotherapeutic effect on P3 latency. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study provides evidence for the notion that different chemotherapy regimens have different effects on brain functioning.
PMID: 18164658 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


Related Links
Electrophysiological correlates of information processing in breast-cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.
[Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2005]
Effects of high-dose and conventional-dose adjuvant chemotherapy on long-term cognitive sequelae in patients with breast cancer: an electrophysiologic study.
[Clin Breast Cancer. 2006]
Neurocognitive performance in breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen.
[J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2004]

Impaired P3 generation reflects high-level and progressive neurocognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
[Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004]

Chemobrain has a lasso around my brain-to-tongue action and my previously impeccable meory and organizational skills, even though I finished chemo in April 2007. I was talking with my doctor about it and he, in a half-joking, half-serious manner asked me to consider trying Namenda, an Alzheimer's Dementia drug. After thinking about it, chemobrain (mine anyway) does have similar outward signs/symptoms of a dementia. I haven't researched it yet, but was curious if anyone else had maybe tried it, heard of it being treated with a dementia drug, or if there was any data that may show chemobrain is a physical change in the brain, similar to the changes that occur with Alzheimer's?

Steph C.

the brain is an almost complete mystery to science
 

we still don't even know why people sleep (which seems to be an absolutely fundamental question)

We are still unsure of the causes of Alzheimer's ie, whether the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles seen under the microscope on autopsies are the cause or an effect. Recent research looking at brains of normals, demented individuals and Alzheimers individuals showed the same brain changes as in Alzheimers in some normal people, and they hypothesized that there are Alzheimers changes and changes that have to do with lack of blood supply and it is the cumulative number of changes and where they are located as well as the "owner of the brain's" makeup in terms of adaptability (plasticity) which may or may not have a genetic bases and/or have environmental contributions which may make the difference.

Since we don't know how the normal brain works, what causes Alzheimers let alone what causes chemobrain, how can we predict if Alzheimers drugs help chemo brain. This article discusses that at least EEG wise, different chemo cocktails cause different brain abnormalities. Since different people metabolize the chemo drugs differently and different people are more or less sensitive to the drugs themselves it will be hard to get enough people with the same/similar genetic makeups, who got the same treatments to determine if Alzheimer drugs helped those treated with AC alone vs those treated with CMF vs those who got AC,T or TCH.

Feel free to scour the literature for case reports or anecdotal evidence for one treatment or the other helping "chemobrain"...but an answer to your question will probably be a long time coming, for the reasons outlined above(and more).

Kat in the Delta
 

I called the Amer. Cancer Society.... and they just sent me
proof that chemobrain IS REAL !! It has been proven using MRI's ( not sure-??) or other technical devices.. to show where that part of the brain.. in those who have had certain or more chemotherapies..and adj==herceptin-type drugs... were more likely to get chemobrain..and the ACS said it lasts longer than they first thought...... I don't think it goes away for some people.., but not stated there....or I forgot.......... I know the Herceptin caused me to have poor circulation and some damage to my heart.... YOU can SEE IT.. by looking at my lower legs.. I think when your body first gets cancer..all parts go in to rid it...so the Cancer may start some of the first signs.... But, that Adriamycin and rads...and then that HERCEPTIN..... are all big players in chemobrain... (my thinking...and may have read some....) IT did state that those who received MORE chemos... were more LIKELY TO GET CHEMOBRAIN....than others.... Some Oncs..and psy's are prescribing add meds. to help.......Check that out...if u can...and let me know.... I also heard of a Dr. Daniel Silverston or Silverstein..who has looked at this....( rsvp if you find, lani..u are the best at research !!)

What do YOU or ANYONE reading this think???? RSVP here .... or to me...

Call them for a copy..or look on site for the updates on chemobrain (i think) ...www.cancer.org
My brain and circulation has been affected by the chemos... I think Herceptin has done damage to my heart and circulation..
My ankles look worse than a bad
diabetics...!!!! My memory was on my treo phone which my
youngest son got and deleted before I downloaded it to the computer... I have been in terrible shape... with all close to me...

My husband
iMy husband has been so short and meanto me. My sons do not believe in chemobrain..-oldest wants to LOCK me UP !!!------.so I need to call the ACS back to MAIL each of them, my sister and mother ...all a copy.
The ACS info. is on level anyone can , if they will read, " understand" I wish it included even MORE about chemobrain.., but it is worth downloading/ asking them to mail us..Then, mail to those who think we chemobrain people are crazy !! My men want to commit me..
My husband just entered the room complaining rather loudly ...about this house... here it goes again...day after day...... I gave Him that info.., but I guess he did not take the time to read it... It really needs to be sent by the ACS. --
-----I feel so bad..that I CANNOT CLEAN THIS HOUSE and BE the PERSON I ONCE WAS....... but that's HISTORY...
Glad to have this site and a few people who did not know me before .... ACCEPT me like I am today.
- KAT IN THE DELTA

you might want to reread an old post of mine
 

(to find it I just used the search here, put in Lani and then "chemobrain" and voila:
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...hemobrain+Lani

What about estrogen-deprivation-brain
 

Whenever there's a chemo-brain discussion, I like to point out that it concerns me that when research is done on this, breast cancer survivors are often a big part of the study participant group. I have NEVER seen them control for, or create a subgroup for, those taking AI's. My intuition, born out by personal experience, is that the AI's may be a bigger culprit than chemo regarding cognitive effects. And almost no one is looking at this.

Okay, off my soap box now.

Debbie Laxague

Although I am not plagued by chemo brain now, in Oct 2004 when I received my first AC treatment, I got home and called my daughter who had just started college. She was really distaught of me being ill and her not being home. For the life of me, I couldn't dial her phone number or do anything with numbers - including faxing some paperwork to my boss. I continued to dial the wrong numbers AND I knew I was dialing the wrong numbers (watching my fingers doing the wrong thing)!

It was much worse with the first AC than the subsequent 3 afterwards. I didn't notice anything with the Taxol treatments.

With Herceptin I had the "not the right word syndrome". It couldn't be the AI (alone) as I have been done with Herceptin for 15 months now and still take Arimidex.