What is chemo brain?

What is chemo brain?

Chemo brain refers to problems with attention, memory, and thinking during cancer treatment. Other names include chemo fog, chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, and cancer treatment-related cognitive impairment.

People often think of cognitive impairment (trouble thinking clearly) as a symptom of chemotherapy. But it can develop before, during, or after any cancer treatment. In some people, it is brief. Others experience it for years.

Common signs of chemo brain include:

• Confusion or mental fogginess
• Finding it harder to multitask (do more than one activity at a time)
• Forgetfulness or short attention span
• Trouble recalling common words or details such as names and dates
• Difficulty in making decisions quickly
• Decreased motor skills