Chemo-Related Cognitive Impairment
aka Chemo Brain
aka Chemo Fog
During chemotherapy, and for some, even after they are done with chemo… you may feel a sort of mental fog.
You may have difficulty concentrating, find yourself confused, with slower thinking. You may experience short-term memory issues, forgetting tasks or information that you typically would not. Some describe it as being one-step behind.
It is a frustrating and hard-to-quantify side effect of chemotherapy.
BASIC STRATEGIES FOR MENTAL CLARITY:
Prioritize sleep
Eat well, if possible. A balanced diet may help.
Pace and prioritize; do not rush.
Try brain games, like sudoku or computer games. Many have been proven in research to make a quantifiable difference in cancer-related impairments.
Diaphragmatic breathing can bring fresh air and oxygen into your body.
Gentle movement has been proven in research to help cognitive functioning.
SEE BELOW FOR MORE TARGETED, SPECIFIC HELP:
COGNITIVE COMPUTER GAMES - RESEARCH INDICATES HELP MINIMIZE MEMORY AND ATTENTION ISSUES. SEE BELOW.
YOGA - VIDEOS AND RESEARCH - RESEARCH STUDIES ALSO INDICATE YOGA HELPS IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING DURING CHEMO.
Easy ways to sharpen your brain as you go about your day…
If you have chemo brain/fog, these three strategies may help you sharpen your cognitive skills:
Play number games while exercising.
Use your non-dominant hand for basic tasks.
Learn new dance steps.
Fun ways to feel better!
WANT TO PLAY A GAME?
Computer-based cognitive rehabilitation programs are more and more frequently being used in research, with quantifiable evidence indicating that the programs improved memory, attention, and processing information. See below.
Spotlight: BRAIN HQ
“The BrainHQ brain training program represents the culmination of 30 years of research in brain science and neuroplasticity. It was designed by an international team of neuroscientists, led by Dr. Michael Merzenich—world famous for his discovery of adult brain plasticity—a breakthrough that showed that anyone can strengthen and enhance their brain.” - quote from www.brainhq.com
RESEARCH INDICATES BRAINHQ HELPS INCREASE THE SPEED OF PROCESSING INFORMATION:
In a study by Von Ah et al. 2012, survivors of cancer who utilized the speed of processing training software Brain HQ by Posit Science improved their processing speed and memory, whereas those who had exclusively memory training exhibited only improved memory.
Spotlight: LUMOSITY
From their website:
Scientific rigor made fun. Brain training tailored to you.
Collaborating Institutions - Researchers from top universities have published studies using Lumosity software: Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, Columbia, Georgetown, and Vanderbilt.
RESEARCH INDICATES LUMOSITY REDUCES MANY COGNITIVE IMPACTS FROM CANCER:
“Using Lumosity software, breast cancer survivors improved on neuropsychological tasks of cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, and processing speed, as well as on their self-reported ratings of executive functioning skills (planning, organizing, and task monitoring) in daily life (Kesler et al. 2013a).”
—- Ahles TA, Root JC. Cognitive Effects of Cancer and Cancer Treatments. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018 May 7;14:425-451. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084903. Epub 2018 Jan 18. PMID: 29345974; PMCID: PMC9118140.
WHY YOGA?
Yoga “offers a holistic neurocognitive approach capable of addressing the multifaceted origins of chemo brain. Its documented effects on stress reduction, sleep enhancement, autonomic regulation, and emotional resilience intersect with key pathways implicated in cognitive dysfunction."
—Sahu SK, Pradhan AK. Therapeutic potential of yoga nidra for chemo brain: a complementary and integrative perspective. Psychoradiology. 2025 Jul 28;5:kkaf020. doi: 10.1093/psyrad/kkaf020. PMID: 40837120; PMCID: PMC1236189.
YOGA FOR MENTAL CLARITY
When you are feeling unmotivated, depressed, and have "chemo fog"... Child's pose boosts your mood, refreshes your mind, and relaxes your nervous system. It also provides a great stretch for your ankles to help improve one's functional mobility (prevent falls), as well as for relieving tension in your lower back and pelvic regions.
Yoga for Chemo Brain
This is a carefully-crafted seated yoga practice designed to target MANY issues you may be experiencing with chemotherapy: low mood, self-esteem, chemo-related fatigue, chemo brain, and peripheral neuropathy (numbness/tingling/pain in hands and fingers). These poses can also help with side effects with other breast cancer treatments, such as surgery/lumpectomy/lymph node dissection or radiation treatment: tightness, limited range of motion and lymphedema in upper extremities.