The effect of mind-body exercise on cognitive function in cancer survivors: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: Cancer-related cognitive impairments experienced by cancer survivors cause many to seek non-pharmacological intereventions to manage these symptoms. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of one such intervention, mind-body exercise (MBE), on cognitive function in cancer survivors. Design: Searches for relevant studies were conducted in four electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. The Joanna Briggs Institute and Jadad scales were utilized to evaluate the quality of the selected studies. Results: Eleven studies including 1,032 participants, published between 2006 and 2019, were selected for review based on specific inclusion criteria. Our results indicated that interventions including, yoga, tai chi, and qigong may improve objective and subjective cognitive function in cancer survivors. Conclusion: Cancer survivors experiencing cognitive symptoms may benefit from participation in MBE. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials are required to establish the short- and long-term effects of MBE on cognitive functioning.

Evidence for Choosing Qigong as an Integrated Intervention in Cancer Care: An Umbrella Review

“…Of the 16 quality assessment criteria listed in AMSTAR2 [32], five applicable criteria (31 percent) were met by all 19 included studies. Two meta-analyses [24,27] and two systematic reviews [13,18] met 14 of the 16 criteria, and another four meta-analyses [21,26,28,30] and two systematic reviews [15,19] met 13 of the 16 criteria (see Table 2). The three most violated criteria (Q3 not met in 53%, Q7 not met in 89%, and Q10 not met in 95% of the included studies) do not have a high impact on the research methodological process, but lack the following: (1) a list of excluded studies, (2) the funding of included studies, (3) a statement of the reasons for the study designs included in the reviews.…”

“…Nineteen articles, including seven systematic reviews [13][14][15][16][17][18][19] and twelve meta-analyses [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31], met the established inclusion criteria and were evaluated (Figure 1, Table 1). Notes: n.r.…”

“…When not better specified, Medical Qigong [13,14,[17][18][19]25,31], Qigong exercises [17,18], or Internal Qigong [15,29] were the labels used to indicate the Qigong intervention. Some works did not specify the Qigong style at all but described the Qigong practice as focusing on the synchrony between body posture/movements, breathing regulation, and intentional meditation [16,[20][21][22]27].…”

“…One network meta-analysis [29] and three systematic reviews [13,17,19] reported cognitive impairment after oncological treatment onset as an outcome.…”

Partnered dance evokes greater intrinsic motivation than home exercise as therapeutic activity for chemotherapy-induced deficits: secondary results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial

“…Thus, survivors treated with these lifesaving agents risk a Faustian bargain: the treatment to extend life causes debilitating neuropathology. Survivors seek non-pharmacologic interventions capable of reducing the impact of chemotherapy-induced conditions such as neuropathic pain ( Swarm et al, 2013 ), cognitive impairment (“chemobrain” or “chemofog”) ( Farahani et al, 2022 ), and premature brain aging ( Koppelmans et al, 2012 ; Kesler et al, 2017 ; Du et al, 2022 ; de Ruiter et al, 2023 ).…”