Breast cancer survivors understandably experience excessive stress, and that stress may result in memory problems. A new study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has now shown that physical exercise may help.
Although the study did not prove the relationship between physical activity, reduced stress and improved memory, it did show a strong association. The researchers found a positive correlation between moderate or vigorous activity, such as jogging, biking, exercise classes or brisk walking, and reduced fatigue and stress among women with breast cancer. The psychological benefits led to improved memory.
Radiation and chemotherapy treatments often get the blame for the memory issues experienced by cancer patients. However, study researcher Siobhan Phillips said that part of the problem may be the emotion-related issues. Cancer patients are often stressed, frightened, emotionally-tapped and fatigued, all of which contribute to memory problems.
“Higher levels of physical activity, lower levels of fatigue and distress, and higher exercise self-efficacy may play an important role in understanding SMI [subjective memory impairment] in breast cancer survivors across time,” Phillips wrote in the study, which was published July 8 in the journal Psycho-Oncology. “Further research is warranted to replicate and explore these relationships further.”
For the study, researchers looked at the self-reported memory and exercise data collected from over 1,800 breast cancer survivors. Devices called “accelerometers” were work by 362 of participants to track their movements. Both groups, whether participating in vigorous or moderate physical activity, reported reduced stress and fatigue, which researchers said has psychological benefits and leads to better memory.