Effects of Baduanjin exercise on cognitive function and cancer-related symptoms in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Cognitive decline is one of the main side effects of breast cancer patients after relevant treatment, but there is a lack of clear measures for prevention and management without definite mechanism. Moreover, postoperative patients also have a need for limb rehabilitation. Whether the cognitive benefits of Baduanjin exercise can improve the overall well-being of breast cancer patients remains unknown.

METHODS:

This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 70 patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy who were randomly assigned and allocated to (1:1) a supervised Baduanjin intervention group (5 times/week, 30 min each time) or a control group for 3 months. The effects of Baduanjin exercise intervention were evaluated by outcome measures including subjective cognitive function, symptoms (fatigue, depression, and anxiety), and health-related quality of life at pre-intervention (T0), 4 weeks (T1), 8 weeks (T2), and 12 weeks (T3). The collected data were analyzed by using an intention-to-treat principle and linear mixed-effects modeling.

RESULTS:

Participants in the Baduanjin intervention group had a significantly greater improvement in terms of FACT-Cog (F = 14.511; p < 0.001), PCI (F = 15.789; p < 0.001), PCA (F = 6.261; p = 0.015), and FACT-B scores (F = 8.900; p = 0.004) compared with the control group over the time. The exercise-cognition relationship was significantly mediated through the reduction of fatigue (indirect effect: β = 0.132; 95% CI 0.046 to 0.237) and the improvement of anxiety (indirect effect: β =  - 0.075; 95% CI - 0.165 to -0.004).

CONCLUSIONS:

This pilot study revealed the benefits of Baduanjin exercise for subjective cognition and health-related quality of life of Chinese breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and outlined the underlying mediating mechanism of exercise-cognition. The findings provided insights into the development of public health initiatives to promote brain health and improve quality of life among breast cancer patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:

ChiCTR 2,000,033,152.

• Authors: Xiaolin Wei, Ruzhen Yuan, Juan Yang, Wei Zheng, Yongmei Jin, Mingyue Wang, Jieting Jiang, Caiqin Wu, Kunpeng Li
• Journal: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (Support Care Cancer) Vol. 30 Issue 7 Pg. 6079-6091 (Jul 2022) ISSN: 1433-7339 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 35416502 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Topics

• Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Cognition
• Exercise Therapy
• Fatigue (etiology, prevention & control)
• Female
• Humans
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
• Pilot Projects
• Quality of Life