Help sleep problems, cognitive problems in childhood cancer survivors

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A new analysis found that often suffer childhood from cancer survivors sleep problems and fatigue, the negative impact on their attention and memory. Published early a peer-review journal of the American Cancer Society, the study online in cancer, shows that sleep hygiene survivors of cancer in childhood addressing could help to improve their cognitive health.

Cognitive problems, such as for example problems with attention and memory, often are in the survivors of cancer in childhood. These problems, which are a direct or indirect result of the treatment, negative future education, employment and the ability independently live.

To assess the effects of fatigue and sleep disturbances on cognitive function in long-term survivors of cancer in childhood, evaluated Kevin Krull, PhD, St. Jude children's research hospital in Memphis and his team a questionnaire filled out by 1,426 people from the childhood cancer survivor study. (The childhood cancer survivor study to investigate the long-term medical, psychosocial, and functional health of the survivors of eight different cancer who were treated between 1970 and 1986.)

Cognitive impairment has been identified in more than 20 percent of the survivors. Study participants responses to the questionnaire showed that long-term have survivors of cancer in childhood, sleeping problems or have daytime sleepiness and fatigue often expected to be three to four times more attention and memory have difficulty as survivors who sleep well. "Since survivor already increased risk of attention and memory problems, lack of sleep and fatigue these cognitive problems worse, can", said Dr. Krull.

The investigators found that survivors cognitive problems, with poor sleep and fatigue are not connected in connection with the effects of brain radiation, chemotherapy, or in the current age of the survivors. Also attention report problems and 70 percent are cancer survivors, which currently take antidepressant medication 50 percent report memory problems rather more.

These findings "suggest that improved quality of sleep and reduced fatigue can help to improve attention and memory functions in survivors", said Dr. Krull. He added that these results can generalize with survivors of other medical conditions, the concurrent sleep and cognitive problems. Krull also warns the people who do not stop antidepressants should use without first consulting with a personal physician.

"Fatigue, vitality, sleep and neurocognitive function in adult survivors of cancer in childhood: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study."
Nancy R. Clanton, James L. Klosky, Chenghong Li, Neelam Jain, Deo Kumar Srivastava, Daniel Mulrooney, Lonnie Zeltzer, Marilyn Stovall, Leslie L. Robison and Kevin R. Krull.
CANCER; Published online: 11 April 2011 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.25797).