Cognitive Impairment Search Strategy and Results

Initial references prior to update: 26

Databases searched for update: PubMed, CINAHL

Search results of literature retrieved May 1, 2008–January 1, 2019:

  • PubMed:
    • (Therapy/Broad[filter] OR systematic[sb]) AND (Cognition Disorders[majr] OR "Chemobrain" OR "chemo brain" OR "Cognitive dysfunction*" OR "cognitive impairment*" OR "cognitive deficit*" OR "cognitive disturbance*" OR neurocognitive[ti]) AND (chemotherapy* OR erythropoietin OR "epoetin alfa" OR cancer OR oncolog* OR neoplasms[majr]) AND ("2008/05/01"[PDAT] : "2019/01/01"[PDAT])
    • 1,919 citations retrieved
  • CINAHL:
    • (((MM "Cognition Disorders" OR "chemo brain" OR "chemo brain" OR "Cognitive dysfunction*" OR "cognitive impairment*" OR "cognitive deficit*" OR "cognitive disturbance*" OR TI neurocognitive) ) AND ( (chemotherap* OR erythropoietin OR "Epoetin Alfa" OR cancer OR oncolog* OR neoplasms)))
    • Limits: Published Date: 20080501-20190101, English Language, Human
    • 907 citations retrieved

145 titles were selected for full article review.

93 final studies were included after the removal of duplicates and studies that did not meet inclusion criteria and the addition of manuscripts retrieved in other topics meeting cognitive impairment-specific criteria,

Inclusion Criteria: 

  1. Full research report, systematic review, guideline, or meta-analysis
  2. Study must report results of measurement of cognitive impairment
  3. The study examines an intervention aimed at affecting the symptom of cognitive impairment.
  4. Study sample must include patients with cancer
  5. As of 1/1/2016, additional inclusions are (a) sample size of at least 40 or 20 per study group, and (b) for complex interventions, the description of the intervention must be sufficient to identify the components of that intervention.
  6. As of 6/19/2018, cognitive impairment must be a primary outcome.

Exclusion Criteria: 

  1. Grey literature
  2. Descriptive studies
  3. Studies involving pediatric or adolescent patients with cancer
  4. Studies involving long-term mental function changes in individuals previously treated for cancer as adolescents or children