Exercise Associated with Cognitive Function in Older Men with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy

BackgroundTo examine associations between exercise and cognitive function in older men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer.MethodMen >= 65 years old with prostate cancer, currently undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for >= 6 months (n = 50), completed the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, and standard neuropsychological tests. Pearson's correlations and linear regressions were used to examine associations between exercise and cognitive performance.ResultsExercise was significantly positively correlated with performance on tests of memory, attention, and executive function. Linear regressions showed that when controlling for age and education, exercise remained a significant predictor of attention and executive function performance (p < 0.05), and showed moderate, but statistically non-significant effects on memory performance (p < 0.10).ConclusionGreater exercise is associated with better functioning in multiple cognitive domains in men with prostate cancer undergoing hormone therapy, providing proof-of-concept evidence that exercise may be a feasible intervention to limit cognitive dysfunction in prostate cancer patients.