Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40398955›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Neuromodulation through brain stimulation-assisted cognitive training in patients with post-chemotherapy subjective cognitive impairment (Neuromod-PCSCI) after breast cancer: study protocol for a double-blinded randomised controlled trial.

Merle Rocke, Elena Knochenhauer, Friederike Thams, Daria Antonenko, Anna Elisabeth Fromm, Nora Jansen, Samaneh Aziziaram, Ulrike Grittner, Sein Schmidt, Antje Vogelgesang and 2 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04817566 (Neuromodulation Through Brain Stimulation-assisted Cognitive Training in Patients With Post-chemotherapy Cognitive Impairment), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04817566 narecruitingnot on this map

Neuromodulation Through Brain Stimulation-assisted Cognitive Training in Patients With Post-chemotherapy Cognitive Impairment

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Medicine GreifswaldRan2021 to 2026Enrolled52ConditionsBreast Cancer, Cognitive ImpairmentArmsAnodal tDCS, Sham tDCS, Intensive cognitive training
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Merle Rocke *Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Elena Knochenhauer *Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Friederike ThamsDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Daria AntonenkoDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Anna Elisabeth FrommDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7709-3311
Nora JansenDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Samaneh AziziaramDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Ulrike GrittnerBerlin Institute of Health at Charite, Berlin, Germany.
Sein SchmidtCharite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Klinik fur Neurologie mit Experimenteller Neurologie, Berlin, Germany.
Antje VogelgesangDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Eva-Lotta BrakemeierDepartment of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Agnes FlöelDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany agnes.floeel@med.uni-greifswald.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1475-5872

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionBreast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. A considerable number of women with breast cancer who have been treated with chemotherapy subsequently develop neurological symptoms such as concentration and memory difficulties (also known as 'chemobrain'). Currently, there are no validated therapeutic approaches available to treat these symptoms. Cognitive training holds the potential to counteract cognitive impairment. Combining cognitive training with concurrent transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could enhance and maintain the effects of this training, potentially providing a new approach to treat post-chemotherapy subjective cognitive impairment (PCSCI). With this study, we aim to investigate the effects of multi-session tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in combination with cognitive training on cognition and quality of life in women with PCSCI. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Neuromod-PCSCI trial is a monocentric, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty-two women with PCSCI after breast cancer therapy will receive a 3-week tDCS-assisted cognitive training with anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (target intervention), compared with cognitive training plus sham tDCS (control intervention). Cognitive training will consist of a letter updating task. Primary outcome will be the performance in an untrained task (n-back task) after training. In addition, feasibility, safety and tolerability, as well as quality of life and performance in additional untrained tasks will be investigated. A follow-up visit will be performed 1 month after intervention to assess possible long-term effects. In an exploratory approach, structural and functional MRI will be acquired before the intervention and at post-intervention to identify possible neural predictors for successful intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted by the ethics committee of the University Medicine Greifswald (BB236/20). Results will be available through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04817566, registered on 26 March 2021.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsBreast NeoplasmsChemotherapy-Related Cognitive ImpairmentCognitive Behavioral TherapyCognitive DysfunctionTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultCognitionCognitive TrainingDorsolateral Prefrontal CortexDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPrefrontal CortexQuality of LifeAntineoplastic AgentsCHEMOTHERAPYCognitionQuality of Life

Identifiers

PMID40398955
PMCPMC12096976

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.