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Kesler SR, Franco-Rocha OY, De La Torre Schutz A, Lewis KA, Aziz RM, Henneghan AM, Melamed E, Brode WM. Altered functional brain connectivity, efficiency, and information flow associated with brain fog after mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. Sci Rep 2024; 14:22094. [PMID: 39333726 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73311-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is associated with increased risk for cognitive decline but very little is known regarding the neural mechanisms of this risk. We enrolled 49 adults (55% female, mean age = 30.7 ± 8.7), 25 with and 24 without a history of COVID-19 infection. We administered standardized tests of cognitive function and acquired brain connectivity data using MRI. The COVID-19 group demonstrated significantly lower cognitive function (W = 475, p < 0.001, effect size r = 0.58) and lower functional connectivity in multiple brain regions (mean t = 3.47 ±0.36, p = 0.03, corrected, effect size d = 0.92 to 1.5). Hypo-connectivity of these regions was inversely correlated with subjective cognitive function and directly correlated with fatigue (p < 0.05, corrected). These regions demonstrated significantly reduced local efficiency (p < 0.026, corrected) and altered effective connectivity (p < 0.001, corrected). COVID-19 may have a widespread effect on the functional connectome characterized by lower functional connectivity and altered patterns of information processing efficiency and effective information flow. This may serve as an adaptation to the pathology of SARS-CoV-2 wherein the brain can continue functioning at near expected objective levels, but patients experience lowered efficiency as brain fog.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelli R Kesler
- Department of Adult Health, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Oscar Y Franco-Rocha
- Department of Adult Health, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa De La Torre Schutz
- Department of Adult Health, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kimberly A Lewis
- Department of Adult Health, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rija M Aziz
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ashley M Henneghan
- Department of Adult Health, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Esther Melamed
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - W Michael Brode
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Conti L, Pizzoli SFM, Marzorati C, Grasso R, Petralia G, Pravettoni G. Cognitive alterations and brain functional changes following chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients: A systematic review on resting-state fMRI studies. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38261545 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2024.2303362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunctions and functional brain modifications are among the side effects reported by breast cancer patients that persist beyond the chemotherapy. This paper aims at synthesizing the evidence on cognitive and functional brain changes and their associations in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase up to July 2022. Eligible studies evaluated adult women with breast cancer treated with systemic chemotherapy, that performed cognitive assessment and resting-state functional MRI. Methodological quality was assessed. Sixteen studies were included, with a total of 1054 female participants. All studies reported alterations mainly concerned the fronto-parieto-temporal system and specifically involved the disruption of the DMN. Consistent with these findings, BCPs showed changes in cognitive performance reporting dysfunctions in executive ability, memory, and attention. However, not all the studies found a significant association between functional brain alterations and cognitive dysfunction. Some limitations including lack of sample homogeneity and different methodological approaches were reported. This work highlighted the presence of cognitive dysfunctions and functional brain alteration in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. This allows a greater awareness of the side effects, promoting better clinical management. However, further research is needed to investigate the cause-effect relationship between cognitive and functional alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Conti
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Marzorati
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Grasso
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Petralia
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
- Division of Radiology, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pravettoni
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
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Melis M, Schroyen G, Blommaert J, Leenaerts N, Smeets A, Van Der Gucht K, Sunaert S, Deprez S. The Impact of Mindfulness on Functional Brain Connectivity and Peripheral Inflammation in Breast Cancer Survivors with Cognitive Complaints. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3632. [PMID: 37509292 PMCID: PMC10377401 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) has been linked to functional brain changes and inflammatory processes. Hence, interventions targeting these underlying mechanisms are needed. In this study, we investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on brain function and inflammatory profiles in breast cancer survivors with CRCI. METHODS Female breast cancer survivors reporting cognitive complaints (n = 117) were randomly assigned to a mindfulness-based intervention (n = 43), physical training (n = 36), or waitlist control condition (n = 38). Region-of-interest (ROI) and graph theory analyses of resting state functional MRI data were performed to study longitudinal group differences in functional connectivity and organization in the default mode, dorsal attention, salience, and frontoparietal network. Additionally, bead-based immunoassays were used to investigate the differences in inflammatory profiles on serum samples. Measures were collected before, immediately after and three months post-intervention. RESULTS No ROI-to-ROI functional connectivity changes were identified. Compared to no intervention, graph analysis showed a larger decrease in clustering coefficient after mindfulness and physical training. Additionally, a larger increase in global efficiency after physical training was identified. Furthermore, the physical training group showed a larger decrease in an inflammatory profile compared to no intervention (IL-12p70, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-8). CONCLUSION Both mindfulness and physical training induced changes in the functional organization of networks related to attention, emotion processing, and executive functioning. While both interventions reduced functional segregation, only physical training increased functional integration of the neural network. In conclusion, physical training had the most pronounced effects on functional network organization and biomarkers of inflammation, two mechanisms that might be involved in CRCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Melis
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, Catholic University Leuven, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Cancer Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gwen Schroyen
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, Catholic University Leuven, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Cancer Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Blommaert
- Leuven Brain Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Cancer Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Oncology, Gynecological Oncology, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Leenaerts
- Leuven Brain Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Mind-Body Research, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ann Smeets
- Leuven Cancer Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Multidisciplinary Breast Center, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katleen Van Der Gucht
- Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands
- Leuven Mindfulness Centre, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefan Sunaert
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, Catholic University Leuven, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sabine Deprez
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, Catholic University Leuven, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Cancer Institute, Catholic University Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Yang J, Deng Y, Liu D, Tan Y, Lin M, Zhou X, Zhang J, Yu H, Hu Y, Tang Y, Jiang S, Zhang J. Brain network deficits in breast cancer patients after early neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A longitudinal MRI study. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1138-1153. [PMID: 36791216 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) patients who undergo chemotherapy are likely to develop chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Recent studies of BC patients after chemotherapy have used graph theory to investigate the topological properties of the brain functional connectome. However, little is known about structural morphological networks in BC patients after early neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Brain morphological network organization in 47 female participants with BC was investigated before and after NAC. Topological properties of brain networks were ascertained based on morphological similarities in regional gray matter using a graph theory approach based on 3D T1-weighted MRI data. Nonparametric permutation testing was used to assess longitudinal-group differences in topological metrics. Compared with BC patients before NAC, BC patients after early NAC showed significantly increased global efficiency (p = .048), decreased path length (p = .033), and abnormal nodal properties and connectivity, mainly located in the central executive network (CEN). The change in the network efficiency of the right caudate was negatively correlated with the change in the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale score (r = -.435, p = .008), and the change in the nodal degree of the left superior frontal gyrus (dorsolateral part) was positively correlated with the change in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy score (r = .547, p = .002). BC participants showed randomization in global properties and dysconnectivity in the CEN after early NAC. NAC may disrupt the cognitive balance of the brain morphological network in individuals with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongchun Deng
- Department of Breast Cancer Center, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory for Intelligent Oncology in Breast Cancer (iCQBC), Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Daihong Liu
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Tan
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meng Lin
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yixin Hu
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shixi Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiuquan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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