What is post chemotherapy cognitive impairment?

What is post chemotherapy cognitive impairment?

Post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment (PCCI) (also known in the scientific community as “CRCIs or Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairments” and in lay terms as chemotherapy-induced cognitive dysfunction or impairment, chemo brain, or chemo fog) describes the cognitive impairment that can result from chemotherapy …

What is chemo brain or chemo fog?

Chemo brain is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur during and after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, cancer-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction.

What is chemo fog?

Chemo brain is a sort of mental fog that affects a patient’s overall cognitive function. Symptoms are subtle and often go unnoticed by loved ones. Chemo brain symptoms include: Mild forgetfulness. Word-finding difficulties (searching for a word that’s on the tip of the tongue)

How long does brain fog last after chemotherapy?

For most patients, chemobrain improves within 9-12 months after completing chemotherapy, but many people still have symptoms at the six-month mark.

What is impaired cognitive function?

Cognitive impairment is when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect their everyday life. Cognitive impairment ranges from mild to severe.

Does chemo affect memory long term?

Chemo brain is most commonly connected with chemotherapy, but other treatments, such as hormone therapy, radiation, and surgery may be associated with it also. These treatments can cause short-term, long-term, or delayed mental changes or cognitive problems.

How do you deal with chemo fog?

Until then, if you are affected by chemo brain, there are some steps you can take.

1. Try mindfulness. “If you can attend to things longer, you are more likely to store them [in memory],” said McGregor.
2. Sample some cognitive practices.
3. Get some physical exercise.
4. Ask for help.
5. Work on your strengths.

Is forgetfulness a side effect of chemo?

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, also called chemo brain, refers to problems such as forgetfulness, mental fogginess, and decision-making issues that occur during and possibly after cancer treatment. Using a daily planner and exercising are things you can do to help yourself.

Can chemo bring on dementia?

Chemo brain can occur during or after chemotherapy treatment. Delirium may occur suddenly during treatment. Delirium usually happens after an identified cause, such as chemotherapy, and it is often reversible. Dementia due to cancer treatment comes on gradually over time and usually after treatment is completed.

Can chemo brain cause personality changes?

Sometimes survivors experience changes in their ability to remember or concentrate after they have chemotherapy. This typically mild form of cognitive change is sometimes called “chemo-brain.” Even these typically mild cognitive changes can disrupt daily living and the ability work.

How is chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment ( Cici ) described?

Chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is an adverse effect experienced by some patients during and after chemotherapy treatment for cancer. It is characterized by difficulty with thinking, remembering, concentrating and word retrieval as well as difficulty in efficiently processing information secondary to receiving chemotherapy.

What does it mean to have chemo brain?

Chemo brain. Overview. Chemo brain is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction. Though chemo brain is a widely used term, it’s misleading.

What happens to your cognitive function after chemotherapy?

And from before chemotherapy to 6 months after completing chemotherapy, 36.5% of patients reported a decline in cognitive function, compared with 13.6% of the healthy women.

Can a memory problem be caused by Chemo?

Factors that may increase the risk of memory problems in cancer survivors include: The severity and duration of the symptoms sometimes described as chemo brain differ from person to person. Most cancer survivors will return to work, but some will find tasks take extra concentration or time. Others may be unable to return to work.