Chemo Brain

COGNITIVE PROBLEMS AFTER CANCER
TREATMENT OR “Chemobrain”
&
TIPS TO MANAGE IT
Karishma Jethmalani
Neuropsychologist and brain injury rehabilitation therapist
WHAT IS CHEMOBRAIN?
● Many cancer patients report symptoms of brain fog and other

cognitive problems collectively known as cancer- related
cognitive impairment or “ CHEMOBRAIN”
● However, there are other factors that could also contribute.
● It is termed” CHEMOBRAIN “as it is more noticable after

chemotherapy.
WHAT CAUSES CHEMOBRAIN ?
• Doctors still don't fully understand why you get

chemobrain.
• There are numerous theories but, the exact cause is
unknown.
There might be other factors involved…
• Radiation
• Surgery
• Medications
• Hormone therapy
Or psychological and physiological factors…
• Sleep problems
• Fatigue
• Depression and anxiety
WHAT DOES CHEMOBRAIN FEEL
LIKE…
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CHEMOBRAIN
MAY INCLUDE…
● Difficulties concentrating on a single task
● Problems with short term memory
● Forgetting details of recent events
● Feeling mentally ‘slower’ than usual
● Confusing dates and appointments
● Misplacing objects
● Fumbling for the right word
● Feeling of mental foggines
● Problems managing daily activities and tasks
DOES CHEMOBRAIN EVER GO AWAY?
• Symptoms of chemobrain can stay after chemotherapy ends, but

each patient is different.
• Some may take a year or more after treatment to feel normal again
others may never regain full mental abilities
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE SYMPTOMS
OF CHEMOBRAIN
PROTECTING BRAIN HEALTH
Keeping Getting
Healthy Regular Social
Strive for: your brain enough
eating exercise connections
active sleep
HEALTHY EATING
GOOD NUTRITION IS AN IMPORTANT PART A healthy

OF LEADING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE— diet may
promote
TODAY, TOMORROW, AND IN THE FUTURE. brain health
Healthy eating tips:
now, and in the
years to come.
▪ Eat or drink less sugar, salt, and solid fat
▪ Make fruits, vegetables, and whole grains a major part of your diet
▪ Choose lean meats, fish, or poultry
▪ Choose low- or non-fat dairy
▪ Control portion sizes
▪ Drink adequate fluids
REGULAR EXERCISE
Many
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ONE OF THE MOST exercise
IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO TO STAY routines can
be modified
HEALTHY. to fit each
individual’s
Benefits: Tips: fitness level.
▪ Talk to a health care provider to see
▪ Reduces the risk of diabetes, heart
what activities are best for you
disease, depression, and stroke
▪ Join programs that teach you to be
▪ Can help to prevent falls
active safely
▪ May improve connections among brain cells
KEEP YOUR BRAIN ACTIVE
Keeping your mind active may help maintain

your learning, remembering, and thinking
Consider
skills. joining a
game or
book club
Read Play games Take a in your
Activity
books and and do class or communit
ideas:
magazines puzzles join a club
y.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
PEOPLE WHO TAKE PART IN MEANINGFUL

ACTIVITIES SAY THEY FEEL HAPPIER, AND Approximate
ly
IT MAY REDUCE SOME HEALTH RISKS. 1 million
adults over
Be social and stay connected by: the age of 60
help care for
▪ Volunteering or working a
▪ Joining a social club or gathering with grandchild.
friends and family
▪ Join cancer support groups
GET ADEQUATE REST
A good night's sleep is important for your physical and

mental health and may help you think more clearly.
Although a
popular sleep
Ways to manage sleep problems: remedy ‘counting
▪ Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday sheep’ is the
▪ Limit day time naps to 30 minutes classic folk
remedy for
▪ Try taking a warm bath a drink camomile tea to aid in insomnia research
relaxation suggest that it can
▪ Try mild to moderate exercises during the day. be effective
▪ If difficulties persist, consider talking to your physician to
prescribe medications
SOME STRATEGIES THAT MAY HELP...
• Keep a checklist of daily reminders or set alarms. Put it in a convenient location where you can
look at it frequently. If necessary, keep another copy at work.
• Do everything with structure, repetition and consistency. Make a daily routine. Having a routine
and doing things with repetiton will minimize the cognitive load.
• Do one task at a time and avoid distractions - work in an uncluttered environment.
• Carry around a small pad and a pen or pencil to write down notes and reminders. Or download
a note-making app on your smartphone and tablet.
• Train yourself to focus - slow down and pay attention to one thing at a time. Picture what you're
doing and describe it loud to yourself.
• Prepare for the next day by setting out the things you will need the night before.
• Put things, such as car keys, back in the same place every time so you can easily find them.
• Use metronome ( slow and relaxed) breathing to ease stress and anxiety
• Use chunking or linking techniques to memorize things.
Let's play a game!
I will now give you 20 words. My promise to
you is that you will be able to remember all
the 20 words in less than two minutes!
Moreover, you will be able to remember them
in the exact order in which theyappear. I have
randomly selected the words and they bear
absolutely no relation to each other.
THE LIST:
1. Doctor 11. Camera
2. Aeroplane 12. Newspaper
3. Orange juice 13. President
4. Australia 14. Helicopter
5. Kite 15. Mountain
6. Swimming pool 16. Parachute
7. Octopus 17. Desert
8. Diamond 18. iPhone
9. Blood 19. Mercedes
10. Cello tape 20. Flowers
I am going to give you 1 minute to learn
the 20 words!
Now lets use another technique called the ‘’link
system’’. Let’s link the words together and make a story!
One day, a doctor sits in an aeroplane. In the aeroplane, a beautiful air-hostess
gives him a
glass of orange juice. After drinking the orange juice, he lands in Australia. In
Australia, he starts flying a kite.
The kite falls in a swimming pool. Inside the swimming pool is an octopus. The
octopus gifts him a very tight diamond ring.
While wearing the tight diamond ring, blood starts flowing from his finger. To
stop the blood flow, he uses cello tape.
Someone clicks his photo using a camera And publishes it
in a newspaper, Which is read by the President, Who
instantly takes off in his helicopter. Unfortunately, the
helicopter collides with a mountain.
President escapes in his parachute And lands in an dry
desert.
With no help available in the desert, he uses his iPhone to
call his wife. His wife arrives in a Mercedes And gifts him
flowers!
That was an interesting story that we just created. Did you
notice how we formed a link using each word, until it
became a chain that we could remember?
The key is to chunk larger information into one story!
Thankyou for your 'attention'

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COGNITIVE PROBLEMS AFTER CANCER

● Many cancer patients report symptoms of brain fog and other

● However, there are other factors that could also contribute.

● It is termed” CHEMOBRAIN “as it is more noticable after

• Doctors still don't fully understand why you get

• Symptoms of chemobrain can stay after chemotherapy ends, but

GOOD NUTRITION IS AN IMPORTANT PART A healthy

Keeping your mind active may help maintain

PEOPLE WHO TAKE PART IN MEANINGFUL

A good night's sleep is important for your physical and

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