Help for those with "chemo brain" at LearningRx Chicago-Naperville

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Oct. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- Fall isn’t synonymous with orange for Mia Tischer, executive director of LearningRx Chicago-Naperville. Rather, she sees pink. As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, Tischer is commemorating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a magazine drive for Edward Hospital Cancer Center in Naperville and Plainfield and discounted rates for cognitive assessments.

According to recent statistics, about 1 in 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer, the second highest form of cancer in women next to skin cancer. In addition to encouraging early detection and treatment, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a solemn time to remember those who lost the battle against breast cancer, and to celebrate and support survivors of the disease. To help survivors, Tischer is offering $100 off a cognitive skills assessment at LearningRx Chicago-Naperville.

Breast cancer survivors often report problems with memory or feelings of mental fog or slowness following treatment for the disease. The symptoms are real and are defined as post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment (PCCI), or “chemo brain.”

"Studies show that it’s more than mental fog and that specific areas of the brain use less energy following chemotherapy," Tischer said.

It is reported that approximately 10-40 percent of breast cancer survivors experience some level of post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment. While any cancer patient may experience temporary cognitive impairment due to stress, fatigue, or depression, the long-term symptoms of PCCI are almost exclusively seen in patients treated for breast cancer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer) and other cancers of the reproductive system.A recent study by Indiana University, however, shows hope for chemo patients. The study, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, showed that after brain training, survivors improved both memory performance and the ability and speed with which they were able to process information. The study included 82 breast cancer survivors who reported concerns about their cognitive function after chemotherapy treatment.

LearningRx Chicago-Naperville is proud to sponsor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Survivors or their loved ones are encouraged to call or visit our Center to learn more about how brain training can enhance memory, thought processing speed and other vital brain skills compromised in connection with cancer treatment.  Anyone impacted by breast cancer will also receive $100 off the cost of a cognitive skills assessment. The assessment will pinpoint the specific cognitive difficulties and identify the skills in need of strengthening and training To learn more, call (630) 470-9631 or click here http://www.learningrx.com/chicago-naperville/

For more information on the Indiana University study go to: Indiana University School of Medicine. (2012, October 7). Breast Cancer Symptom Management May Be Improved By Memory, Thought-Process Training, Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251127.php. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251127.php)

About LearningRx-Naperville: LearningRx-Naperville specializes in treating the root cause of learning struggles, such as dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, and provides support in reading, math, and career and academic advancement. Anyone of any age can increase the speed, power or function of his or her brain. LearningRx-Naperville opened in November 2011 and is the only one-on-one Brain Training Center in Illinois.