Exercise missed primary cognitive goals in cancer survivors

In a randomized controlled trial of 253 breast cancer survivors, researchers tested whether a remotely delivered 12-month exercise program improved cognitive performance compared to a Health & Wellness control arm receiving calls on healthy aging topics. The trial included a six-month intervention followed by a six-month maintenance period. Investigators tracked moderate-to-vigorous physical activity using accelerometers and assessed cognition via self-report questionnaires and objective neurocognitive tests.

The exercise arm increased physical activity from 18 minutes per day at baseline to 23.5 minutes at 12 months, outperforming the control group, which changed from 15 to 15.5 minutes. Despite this increase, the exercise program was not superior to the wellness control for the primary outcomes of self-reported cognition or processing speed. Among secondary outcomes, exercise was associated with greater improvements in attention at six and 12 months, as well as short-term memory benefits at six months.