Cancer Rehabilitation

Lifestyle Medicine

Symposium

(619122) Loneliness and Social Isolation:  Implications for Cognitive Health in Cancer

Presenter(s)

• 

  Arash Asher, MD

  Director, Cancer Survivorship and Rehabilitation
  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  Los Angeles, California
• SO

  Samia Ortiz-Hernandez, PhD

  Neuropsychology Fellow
  Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
  Washington, District of Columbia
• 

  Jennifer Strang, PhD, ABPP-CN

  Clinical Neuropsychologist
  Washington DC VA Medical Center
  Alexandria, Virginia
• RN

  Robin Newman, OTD, OTR/L

  Clinical Assistant Professor
  Boston University
  Boston, Massachusetts
• 

  Lynne Padgett, PhD

  Health and Rehabilitation Psychologist
  VAMC
  Washington DC, District of Columbia

Chronic loneliness is common and often unrecognized in the cancer setting. It is associated with an increased rate of cancer recurrence and mortality. Recently, loneliness has been associated with cancer-related cognitive impairment, which is a major cancer survivorship concern with increasing attention in recent years. Mechanisms by which loneliness may contribute to cognitive impairment will be reviewed. Results from a cognitive rehabilitation intervention that appears promising to decrease symptoms of both loneliness and cognitive impairment will be presented as well as future opportunities for the rehabilitation community to make an impact for this important clinical problem.

Learning Objectives:

• Upon completion, participants will be able to define and differentiate chronic loneliness and social isolation with an appreciation of its incidence in the cancer setting.
• Upon completion, participants will understand the health implications of chronic loneliness on cognitive health in both the general population and among patients with cancer.
• Upon completion, participants will be familiar with the proposed mechanisms by which chronic loneliness creates cognitive impairment.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to identify potential rehabilitation and psychological interventions to mitigate chronic loneliness and isolation.