Department of Neurological Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), United States; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, UNMC, United States; Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, College of Medicine, UNMC, United States.
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, UNMC, United States; Division of Oncology & Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, UNMC, United States.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2019 Aug;130(8):1243-1252. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.04.714. Epub 2019 May 24.
Neuroimaging studies of hematologic cancer patients report altered activity in dorsal attention and central executive networks. To determine the consequences of these altered brain networks, we evaluated neurophysiological correlates of attention and working memory in hematologic cancer patients prior to initiating treatment.
Hematologic cancer patients (19-80 years) were excluded for premorbid cognitive impairment, prior non-hematologic cancer diagnosis, and prior chemotherapy. Attention was manipulated by presenting an irrelevant spatial cue prior to visual search displays. Working memory was manipulated by presenting irrelevant distractors within memory displays. Electroencephalogram was recorded during task performance.
Patients (n = 28) and controls (n = 15) were balanced on age, gender, and education. Spatial cues evoked larger N2pc amplitudes, a correlate of spatial attention, in patients than controls (p < .05; Cohen's d > 0.7). Memory distractors evoked larger contralateral delay activity amplitudes, a correlate of working memory load, in patients (p = .028; Cohen's d = 1.1) but not controls (p = .64).
Prior to initiating treatment, hematologic cancer patients demonstrated poor control over spatial attention and working memory, consistent with altered dorsal attention and central executive network activity.
Hematologic cancer patients may be at a higher risk for selecting, processing, and storing distracting information that would compete with more immediate goal-related behaviors.
血液癌症患者的神经影像学研究报告称，背侧注意和中央执行网络的活动发生改变。为了确定这些改变的大脑网络的后果，我们在开始治疗之前评估了血液癌症患者的注意和工作记忆的神经生理相关性。
排除有潜在认知障碍、非血液癌症既往史和既往化疗的血液癌症患者。通过在视觉搜索显示之前呈现无关的空间提示来操纵注意力。通过在记忆显示中呈现无关的分心物来操纵工作记忆。在任务执行期间记录脑电图。
患者（n=28）和对照组（n=15）在年龄、性别和教育方面平衡。与对照组相比，患者的空间提示引起了更大的 N2pc 振幅，这是空间注意力的一个相关指标（p<0.05；Cohen's d>0.7）。记忆分心物引起了更大的对侧延迟活动振幅，这是工作记忆负荷的一个相关指标，在患者中（p=0.028；Cohen's d=1.1），而不是对照组（p=0.64）。
在开始治疗之前，血液癌症患者表现出对空间注意力和工作记忆的控制能力较差，这与背侧注意和中央执行网络活动的改变一致。
血液癌症患者可能面临更高的风险，即选择、处理和存储分散注意力的信息，这些信息会与更直接的目标相关行为竞争。
