Altered resting-state hippocampal functional networks associated with chemotherapy-induced prospective memory impairment in breast cancer survivors

• DOI: 10.1038/srep45135
• Publication Date: 2017-03-22T10:08:45Z
• Authors: Huaidong Cheng; Wen Li; Liang Gong; Han Xuan; Zhonglian Huang; Hong Zhao; Long Sheng Wang; Kai Wang
• Keywords: Adult; Brain Mapping; Memory Disorders; Rest; Breast Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Hippocampus; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Article; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Connectome; Humans; Female; Survivors

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to investigate the intrinsic hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) network and its relationship with prospective memory in patients with breast cancer suffering from chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI). Thirty-four breast cancer patients before and after adjuvant chemotherapy (CB and CC, respectively) and 31 age- and education-matched cognitively normal (CN) women were recruited and subjected to a prospective memory task and a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was used to compare the hippocampal FC networks between CC and CN groups. Partial correction analysis was used to examine the association between the hippocampal FC network and prospective memory in the CC group. The cancer group that underwent chemotherapy obtained significantly poorer scores than the CN group on mini-mental state examination, verbal fluency test, digit span, and prospective memory examination. Compared to the CN group, CC group showed increased hippocampal connectivity in the frontal and parietal cortex, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and the cerebellum. In addition, the increasing hippocampal FC networks were negatively correlated with prospective memory performance in the CC group. These findings suggest maladaptive hippocampal functioning as a mechanism underlying the impairment of prospective memory in patients experiencing CICI.