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. 2023 Jan 21;38(1):12-24.
doi: 10.1093/arclin/acac051.

Longitudinal Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment on Neural Correlates of Attention

Robert D Melara  1 , Tim A Ahles  2 , Neelam Prashad  2 , Madalyn Fernbach  2 , Jay A Edelman  3 , James Root  2
Affiliations

Longitudinal Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment on Neural Correlates of Attention

Robert D Melara et al. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. .

Abstract

Objective: Cognitive dysfunction has been observed consistently in a subset of breast cancer survivors. Yet, the precise physiological and processing origins of dysfunction remain unknown. The current study examined the utility of methods and procedures based on cognitive neuroscience to study cognitive change associated with cancer and cancer treatment.

Methods: We used electroencephalogram and behavioral measures in a longitudinal design to investigate pre- versus post-treatment effects on attention performance in breast cancer patients (n = 15) compared with healthy controls (n = 24), as participants completed the revised Attention Network Test, a cognitive measure of alerting, orienting, and inhibitory control of attention.

Results: We found no group differences in behavioral performance from pretest to posttest, but significant event-related potential effects of cancer treatment in processing cue validity: After treatment, patients revealed decreased N1 amplitude and increased P3 amplitude, suggesting a suppressed early (N1) response and an exaggerated late (P3) response to invalid cues.

Conclusions: The results suggest that treatment-related attentional disruption begins in early sensory/perceptual processing and extends to compensatory top-down executive processes.

Keywords: Attention; Breast cancer; EEG; Executive functioning; Longitudinal.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Summary of ANT design used in the study. Participants were asked to indicate the direction (left/right) of the center arrow in a flanker array of congruent or incongruent arrows, with each target preceded by either no cue, a double cue, or a valid or invalid spatial cue.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Average amplitude (with standard error bars) of the N1 ERP component to targets following valid and invalid cues for cancer patients and healthy controls at pretest and posttest. Patients showed significant loss of N1 amplitude to invalid cues at posttest, suggesting difficulty re-orienting to targets after treatment.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Average amplitude (with standard error bars) of the P3 ERP component to targets following valid and invalid cues for cancer patients and healthy controls at pretest and posttest. P3 amplitude to invalid cues was significantly greater in patients than controls after treatment.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Average amplitude (with standard error bars) of the SW ERP component (800–1,000 ms after target onset) to targets following valid and invalid cues for cancer patients and healthy controls at pretest and posttest. The amplitude of the slow wave to invalid cues was slightly greater (p = .06) in patients than controls after treatment.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Grand-averaged ERP waveforms at Cz to targets following valid and invalid cues for cancer patients and healthy controls at pretest and posttest.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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