Earlier this month, at the 8th annual International Oncology Conference, Dr. Jean Alvarez presented results of her research study using Neurofeedback to improve the symptoms of cognitive impairment from Chemo therapy.

For those who undergo chemotherapy a condition that is frequently referred to as “chemo-brain” or “chemo-fog” can develop. This is where patients report a kind of mental “fogginess” and this can result in measurable declines in cognitive function during treatment, and the condition can continue after chemo treatment is completed.

In the Medscape Medical News review of the presentation, Dr Alvarez reports, “Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, has the potential to reduce or even reverse the cognitive impairment associated with chemotherapy, according to the results of a pilot study.”

In this study they found significant improvement in cognitive function, perceived impairment, quality of life, depression, and sleep medication use. Dr Alvarez reported that 91% (21 of 23) of the study participants improved at a statistically significant level (p<.001) in all four cognitive measures assessed. This is ground-breaking work in the field of Neurofeedback; and this may well be the first study of its kind evaluating the effectiveness of Neurofeedback for improvement of chemo-fog with cancer patients. To read the full review click here