Exercise Improves Attention in Chemo Brain Patients
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- Exercise (EXCAP) improved attention scores in chemotherapy patients compared with placebo after six weeks.
- Low‑dose ibuprofen showed modest attention gains but failed to consistently improve short‑term verbal memory.
- Patients reported fewer observable cognitive problems, as noted by friends, family, or coworkers, when participating in EXCAP with or without ibuprofen.
- Researchers enrolled 86 chemotherapy patients with self‑reported cognitive difficulties and randomly assigned them to four groups for six weeks.
- Lead author Michelle C. Janelsins emphasized that larger Phase III trials are needed to confirm findings and refine dose regimens.
Why it matters: Chemotherapy patients, who face up to 80% incidence of cognitive impairment, gain a practical, low‑cost strategy to preserve attention and reduce everyday lapses, while clinicians receive evidence supporting non‑pharmacologic care. The modest, mixed ibuprofen results highlight the need to prioritize lifestyle interventions over uncertain drug benefits.
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