Effects of Cognitive Control Training on Improving the Long-Term Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Survivors Returning to Work.

Ongoing neuroimaging research has revealed that compensatory mechanisms such as enhanced mental effort and the use of extensive processing resources are employed by breast cancer survivors to diminish the toxic effects of 'chemo-brain' (thinking and memory problems that can occur after cancer treatment) [1]. Neurotoxicity from adjuvant chemotherapy [2] and/or endocrine treatment [3] reduces the volume of grey and white matter in brain regions corresponding to the cognitive dysfunctions observed [4]. My proposed research aims to extend and augment the existing body of literature using a trans-diagnostic pathway (a pathway that integrates multiple disciplines to conduct experimental research that can be directly applied to the 'real world' to resolve an existing issue) to explore the effects of adaptive cognitive control training (CCT) (i.e. dual N-back training) on attenuating impaired attentional control and reduced processing efficiency amongst breast cancer survivors returning to work. The research has three primary aims: (1) To substantiate the pattern of neuro-cognitive impairments (using electrophysiological measures such as event-related potentials (ERP)) associated with both self-report and behavioural mediators of cognitive decline; (2) To target those mechanisms using active adaptive dual N-back training to improve neuro-cognitive function and cognitive flexibility, generating a positive impact on emotion regulatory strategies; (3) To identify the effects of neurocognitive training (dual N-back training) on performance outcomes at work in women returning to work following anticancer treatment as well as perceived competency