Online Mental Exercises Could Help Reduce ‘Chemo Brain’

An online program has been launched to help cancer patients who are experiencing one of the typical side effects of cancer treatment: “chemo brain.”  The initiative from the Australian cancer research group, Cancer Council NSW, is called BrainHQ and aims to help by getting patients to undergo a series of online mental exercises according to breastcancer-news.com.

MORE: Find out more about six common side effects of chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma

It’s estimated that as many as 70 percent of patients who have chemotherapy treatment find they suffer temporarily from loss of short-term memory, and a lack of concentration and planning skills, including those suffering from lymphoma. By completing online mental exercises they will hopefully be able to strengthen their cognitive skills and increase their concentration levels. In the trial, patients who used the scheme found they suffered less anxiety and depression than cancer patients who did not participate and were experiencing a better quality of life six months later according to medicalxpress.com.

Patients taking part in BrainHQ used five different visual training exercises to help with cognitive impairment, which engaged the visual system of the brain to improve memory and visual processing. Find out more about the BrainHQ study.

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