COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG CANCER PATIENTS EXPERIENCING CHEMOTHERAPY

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chemotherapy had
any particular role on cognitive impairment i.e. difficulties in executive
functioning, working memory, naming ability, attention, language, abstraction,
orientation, and visuo-spatial constructional and recall ability, among cancer
patients in Bangladesh. Sixty cancer patients and thirty healthy individuals were
recruited for this study by purposive sampling. Among these cancer patients 30
had experienced chemotherapy and remain 30 had experienced radiotherapy/
surgery/no treatment at all. We used Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test and
Montreal Cognitive Assessment to investigate cognitive impairment and Bangla
version of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale to assess emotional distress.
Findings revealed that cancer patients in general experience significantly more
cognitive difficulties than healthy individuals. Regarding the attention, visual
and auditory memory and executive ability the problems are more dominant.
Chemotherapy group performed in all aspects of cognitive testing significantly
lower than other treatment group. Statistical tests indicated no role of emotional
distress on neuropsychological performance. Males with cancer are more
vulnerable to cognitive impairment. In a nutshell, this study indicates that cancer
patients in Bangladesh experience cognitive impairment and especially patients
treated with chemotherapy are more likely to experience cognitive impairment.