VERBAL FLUENCY PERFORMANCE IN ADULTS AND OLDER ADULTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY FOR CANCER
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17564/2316-3798.2025v10n1p469-483
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Abstract
Cancer, characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells, can significantly impact individuals' physical, mental, and cognitive health. Among the adverse effects of cancer treatment, cognitive changes stand out—such as impairments in verbal fluency—that affect executive functions, memory, and attention. These changes, referred to as "chemobrain," negatively affect the quality of life of cancer patients. Given this context, the objective of this study was to analyze verbal fluency performance in adults and older adults with cancer after undergoing chemotherapy.
To achieve this, a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional case-control study was conducted at a philanthropic hospital. The sample consisted of 60 individuals, divided into two groups matched by age, sex, and education level: 30 participants diagnosed with cancer undergoing chemotherapy as the sole treatment, and 30 participants with no history of the disease. The instruments used were a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and verbal fluency tests—semantic (category "animals") and phonological (letter "A")—both with a 60-second time limit. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The most prevalent types of cancer were stomach (20%), breast (13.3%), and lymph node (13.3%). The most commonly used chemotherapeutic agents were fluorouracil (20%) and cisplatin (14%). Participants without cancer scored significantly higher on both semantic and phonological verbal fluency tasks (p<0.001) compared to those undergoing chemotherapy. There was no statistically significant difference in MoCA scores between the two groups. In the cancer group, a weak correlation was observed between phonological fluency and MoCA score (p=0.04). In the control group, moderate correlations were found between MoCA scores and both semantic (p=0.007) and phonological (p=0.016) fluency; and a moderate negative correlation between phonological fluency and age (p=0.021). In conclusion, individuals with cancer undergoing chemotherapy show lower performance in both semantic and phonological verbal fluency tasks compared to individuals with no history of the disease.
