The effect of non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in cancer: an overview of systematic reviews.

Haywood, D; Henneghan, AM; Chan, A; Chan, RJ; Dhillon, HM; Lustberg, MB; Vardy, JL; O'Connor, M; Elvidge, N; Dauer, E; Franco-Rocha, OY; Vasan, S; Murray, J; Crichton, M; Wilding, H; Rossell, SL; Hart, NH

The effect of non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in cancer: an overview of systematic reviews.

Henneghan, AM Chan, A Chan, RJ Dhillon, HM Lustberg, MB Vardy, JL O'Connor, M Elvidge, N Dauer, E Franco-Rocha, OY Vasan, S Murray, J

Crichton, M Wilding, H Rossell, SL Hart, NH

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Publisher:: SPRINGER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Support Care Cancer, 2025, 33, (2), pp. 151
Issue Date:: 2025-02-04

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Haywood, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-4135
dc.contributor.author	Henneghan, AM
dc.contributor.author	Chan, A
dc.contributor.author	Chan, RJ
dc.contributor.author	Dhillon, HM
dc.contributor.author	Lustberg, MB
dc.contributor.author	Vardy, JL
dc.contributor.author	O'Connor, M
dc.contributor.author	Elvidge, N
dc.contributor.author	Dauer, E
dc.contributor.author	Franco-Rocha, OY
dc.contributor.author	Vasan, S
dc.contributor.author	Murray, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9585-4951
dc.contributor.author	Crichton, M
dc.contributor.author	Wilding, H
dc.contributor.author	Rossell, SL
dc.contributor.author	Hart, NH
dc.date.accessioned	2025-02-21T02:20:13Z
dc.date.available	2025-01-26
dc.date.available	2025-02-21T02:20:13Z
dc.date.issued	2025-02-04
dc.identifier.citation	Support Care Cancer, 2025, 33, (2), pp. 151
dc.identifier.issn	0941-4355
dc.identifier.issn	1433-7339
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/185242
dc.description.abstract	PURPOSE: A significant number of cancer survivors experience cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), which can impact their ability to think, reason, make decisions, and perform daily actions. In recent years, non-pharmacological interventions for CRCI have gained significant attention. These interventions include exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive training/remediation, dietary, mind-body, and multi-modal/complex interventions. This umbrella review provides a critical overview to inform guidelines and current practice, identify the most promising interventions, and uncover gaps in the research literature. METHODS: This umbrella review of systematic reviews was pre-registered on Open Science Framework and PROSPERO. Six databases were searched. Systematic reviews (SR) assessing any non-pharmacological interventions to improve cognition in cancer (any type) were included. The overview followed gold-standard guidelines and recommendations. The results were narratively synthesised, and descriptive statistics and effect size ranges were calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-four (n = 64) SRs were included. Results were synthesised into four non-pharmacological domains. Cognitive training/rehabilitation had the strongest evidence for efficacy. Physical activity/exercise showed promising efficacy; however, the variability of findings was considerable. Mind-body and psychological/behavioural therapy interventions were limited, but there was evidence for short-term effectiveness. Multi-modal/complex interventions showed potential for improving cognition in cancer but were poorly defined. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated efficacy for improving cognition in cancer. There were limited intervention characteristics within domains which were consistently related to efficacy. Three key recommendations are provided for future research: (1) adopt harmonisation and reporting guidelines; (2) develop definitional guidelines of cognitive domains for CRCI research; and (3) assess intervention and participant characteristics associated with positive versus null/negative findings.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	SPRINGER
dc.relation.ispartof	Support Care Cancer
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00520-025-09212-3
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	11 Medical and Health Sciences, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Oncology & Carcinogenesis
dc.subject.classification	32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
dc.subject.classification	42 Health sciences
dc.subject.classification	52 Psychology
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms
dc.subject.mesh	Cognitive Dysfunction
dc.subject.mesh	Systematic Reviews as Topic
dc.subject.mesh	Cancer Survivors
dc.subject.mesh	Exercise
dc.subject.mesh	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
dc.subject.mesh	Cognition
dc.subject.mesh	Mind-Body Therapies
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms
dc.subject.mesh	Exercise
dc.subject.mesh	Cognition
dc.subject.mesh	Mind-Body Therapies
dc.subject.mesh	Cognitive Dysfunction
dc.subject.mesh	Cancer Survivors
dc.subject.mesh	Systematic Reviews as Topic
dc.subject.mesh	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms
dc.subject.mesh	Cognitive Dysfunction
dc.subject.mesh	Systematic Reviews as Topic
dc.subject.mesh	Cancer Survivors
dc.subject.mesh	Exercise
dc.subject.mesh	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
dc.subject.mesh	Cognition
dc.subject.mesh	Mind-Body Therapies
dc.title	The effect of non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in cancer: an overview of systematic reviews.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	33
utslib.location.activity	Germany
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-02-21T02:20:09Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	33
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

PURPOSE: A significant number of cancer survivors experience cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), which can impact their ability to think, reason, make decisions, and perform daily actions. In recent years, non-pharmacological interventions for CRCI have gained significant attention. These interventions include exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive training/remediation, dietary, mind-body, and multi-modal/complex interventions. This umbrella review provides a critical overview to inform guidelines and current practice, identify the most promising interventions, and uncover gaps in the research literature. METHODS: This umbrella review of systematic reviews was pre-registered on Open Science Framework and PROSPERO. Six databases were searched. Systematic reviews (SR) assessing any non-pharmacological interventions to improve cognition in cancer (any type) were included. The overview followed gold-standard guidelines and recommendations. The results were narratively synthesised, and descriptive statistics and effect size ranges were calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-four (n = 64) SRs were included. Results were synthesised into four non-pharmacological domains. Cognitive training/rehabilitation had the strongest evidence for efficacy. Physical activity/exercise showed promising efficacy; however, the variability of findings was considerable. Mind-body and psychological/behavioural therapy interventions were limited, but there was evidence for short-term effectiveness. Multi-modal/complex interventions showed potential for improving cognition in cancer but were poorly defined. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated efficacy for improving cognition in cancer. There were limited intervention characteristics within domains which were consistently related to efficacy. Three key recommendations are provided for future research: (1) adopt harmonisation and reporting guidelines; (2) develop definitional guidelines of cognitive domains for CRCI research; and (3) assess intervention and participant characteristics associated with positive versus null/negative findings.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/185242