Clarifying the cause of chemotherapy ‘fog’

Up to 70% of cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy report experiencing a mental ‘fog,’ with up to 50% of them suffering measurable deficits in attention, working memory and mental processing speed. Despite its high incidence, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment or ‘chemo-brain’ have not been well defined. New research from the lab of Tracey Shors (Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ) clarifies the origins of chemo-brain.

Lab Anim. (NY) 42, 111 (2013).

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