Chemotherapy is the use of chemical substance like drug to treat diseases, cytotoxic and some other drugs are used to treat cancer.
Some patients experience cognitive impairment after chemotherapy treatment, cognitive dysfunction that is linked to cancer is known as ‘chemo brain’.
Common symptoms of ‘chemo brain’ are: confusion, visual and verbal memory loss, mental fogginess, difficulty in learning new skills and processing information.
Michael Johnson, a professor of Chemistry suggested potential solution to chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment.
According to Michael Johnson, chemotherapy drug like 5-Fluorouracil destroy the integrity of myelin in brain cells, the drug also increases the levels of hydrogen peroxide in the brain.
‘KU-32’ drug can control chemo brain and counter the effects of chemotherapy treatment in rats and prevent increase in production of hydrogen peroxide in the brain.
Chemotherapy treatment alter proper functions of dopamine and serotonin which can cause adverse effect on learning and other cognitive skills.