Artificial and natural interventions for chemotherapy- and / or radiotherapy-induced cognitive impairment: A systematic review of animal studies

L E Kuil; T M C K Varkevisser; M H Huisman; M Jansen; J Bunt; A Compter; H Ket; S B Schagen; A Y N Schouten-van Meeteren; M Partanen

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105514

Artificial and natural interventions for chemotherapy- and / or radiotherapy-induced cognitive impairment: A systematic review of animal studies

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2024 Feb:157:105514. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105514. Epub 2023 Dec 21.

Authors

L E Kuil¹, T M C K Varkevisser², M H Huisman², M Jansen², J Bunt², A Compter³, H Ket⁴, S B Schagen⁵, A Y N Schouten-van Meeteren², M Partanen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Division of Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
² Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Neuro-Oncology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁴ Universiteitsbibliotheek, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁵ Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁶ Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: M.H.Partanen@prinsesmaximacentrum.nl.

PMID: 38135266
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105514

Abstract

Background: Cancer survivors frequently experience cognitive impairments. This systematic review assessed animal literature to identify artificial (pharmaceutical) or natural interventions (plant/endogenously-derived) to reduce treatment-related cognitive impairments.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched and SYRCLE's tool was used for risk of bias assessment of the 134 included articles.

Results: High variability was observed and risk of bias analysis showed overall poor quality of reporting. Results generally showed positive effects in the intervention group versus cancer-therapy only group (67% of 156 cognitive measures), with only 15 (7%) measures reporting cognitive impairment despite intervention. Both artificial (61%) and natural (75%) interventions prevented cognitive impairment. Artificial interventions involving GSK3B inhibitors, PLX5622, and NMDA receptor antagonists, and natural interventions utilizing melatonin, curcumin, and N-acetylcysteine, showed most consistent outcomes.

Conclusions: Both artificial and natural interventions may prevent cognitive impairment in rodents, which merit consideration in future clinical trials. Greater consistency in design is needed to enhance the generalizability across studies, including timing of cognitive tests and description of treatments and interventions.

Keywords: Cancer; Chemotherapy; Cognition; Interventions; Radiotherapy; Systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Cancer Survivors*
Cognitive Dysfunction* / drug therapy
Cognitive Dysfunction* / etiology
Cognitive Dysfunction* / prevention & control
Humans