Effect of chemotherapy on default mode network connectivity in older women with breast cancer Journal Article


Authors: Chen, B. T.; Chen, Z.; Patel, S. K.; Rockne, R. C.; Wong, C. W.; Root, J. C.; Saykin, A.J.; Ahles, T. A.; Holodny, A. I.; Sun, C. L.; Sedrak, M. S.; Kim, H.; Celis, A.; Katheria, V.; Dale, W.
Article Title: Effect of chemotherapy on default mode network connectivity in older women with breast cancer
Abstract: Chemotherapy may impair cognition and contribute to accelerated aging. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of chemotherapy on the connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) in older women with breast cancer. This prospective longitudinal study enrolled women aged >= 60 years with stage I-III breast cancer (CTx group) and matched healthy controls (HC group). Study assessments, consisting of resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and the Picture Sequence Memory (psm) test for episodic memory from the NIH Toolbox for Cognition, were obtained at baseline and within one month after the completion of chemotherapy for the CTx group and at matched intervals for the HC group. Two-sample t-test and FDR multiple comparison were used for statistical inference. Our analysis of the CTx group (N = 19; 60-82 years of age, mean = 66.6, SD = 5.24) compared to the HC group (N = 14; 60-78 years of age, mean = 68.1, SD = 5.69) revealed weaker DMN subnetwork connectivity in the anterior brain but stronger connectivity in the posterior brain at baseline. After chemotherapy, this pattern was reversed, with stronger anterior connectivity and weaker posterior connectivity. In addition, the meta-level functional network connectivity (FNC) among the DMN subnetworks after chemotherapy was consistently weaker than the baseline FNC as seen in the couplings between anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and retrosplenial (rSplenia) region, with DELTAFNC('ACC','rSplenia')=-0.14, t value=-2.44, 95 %CI=[-0.27,-0.10], pFDR<0.05). The baseline FNC matrices of DMN subnetworks were correlated with psm scores (corr = 0.58, p < 0.05). Our results support DMN alterations as a potential neuroimaging biomarker for cancer-related cognitive impairment and accelerated aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: chemotherapy; breast cancer; episodic memory; default mode network; cancer-related cognitive impairment; crci
Journal Title: Brain Imaging and Behavior
Volume: 16
Issue: 1
ISSN: 1931-7557
Publisher: Springer  
Date Published: 2022-02-01
Start Page: 43
End Page: 53
Language: English
ACCESSION: 2021-49507-001
DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00475-y
PROVIDER: Ovid Technologies
PROVIDER: psycinfo
PUBMED: 34019223
PMCID: PMC8606014
DOI/URL:
Notes: References -- Source: APA PsycInfo
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MSK Authors
  1. Tim A Ahles
    182 Ahles
  2. James Charles Root
    113 Root
  3. Andrei Holodny
    207 Holodny