Can yoga help with 'chemo' brain?

Research suggests that practising gentle restorative yoga regularly may support attention, memory, and mental clarity in women experiencing chemo brain after cancer

Many women affected by cancer describe a change that is difficult to explain — and even harder to live with. They might feel mentally slower than they used to be. Words slip away. Concentration feels fragile. Learning something new takes more effort than it once did.

This experience is often called “chemo brain”, but the clinical term is cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). While common, CRCI is still poorly understood, and many women feel unprepared for how much it can affect confidence, work, relationships, and sense of self.

Treatment options for CRCI have been limited. However, research is now beginning to explore gentle, non-pharmacological approaches that may support cognitive recovery after cancer. Encouragingly, a study published in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies explored whether yoga — and specifically different styles of yoga — could support cognitive function in women after breast or ovarian cancer.

What is cancer-related cognitive impairment?

CRCI refers to changes in thinking, memory, attention, and processing speed that can occur during or after cancer treatment. Studies suggest up to 30–35% of people experience ongoing cognitive changes after treatment has finished.

Common experiences include:

• Difficulty concentrating or multitasking

• Forgetting names, words, or appointments

• Feeling mentally “foggy” or overwhelmed

• Slower processing of information

• Reduced confidence in work or daily tasks

Importantly, CRCI can occur even when scans are clear and treatment is complete, which can make it feel invisible or minimised. Before looking at the study, it helps to understand that cognition is not one single skill. Researchers often describe two key types: fluid vs crystallised thinking

Fluid cognition involves:

• Processing new information

• Attention and focus

• Problem-solving

• Working memory

• Thinking quickly and flexibly

This is the type of cognition most often affected by CRCI.

Crystallised cognition refers to:

• Knowledge gained over time

• Vocabulary

• Education and life experience

  
  

Crystallised cognition tends to remain relatively stable, even when fluid cognition declines.

Many cancer survivors describe this mismatch clearly: “I know I’m intelligent, but I don’t feel like my brain works the way it used to.”

The study: yoga and objective cognitive testing

A randomised controlled pilot trial  investigated whether two different styles of yoga could improve objective cognitive function in women after cancer.

Who took part?

• Women who had completed treatment for breast or ovarian cancer

• No evidence of active disease

• Previously sedentary

• Average age in the mid-50s

  
  

What were the interventions?

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two yoga programs:

Restorative yoga

• Supported, gentle postures

• Minimal physical exertion

• Emphasis on breath, stillness, and relaxation

• Mindfulness-based focus

Vigorous (vinyasa-style) yoga

• Flowing movement

• Strength and cardiovascular effort

• Less emphasis on meditation

• Heart rate maintained at 60–70% of maximum

Both groups:

• Attended 60-minute classes, three times per week for 12 weeks

• Continued home practice for another 12 weeks

How was cognition measured?

Rather than relying only on self-report, researchers used the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, a validated neuropsychological assessment tool measuring:

• Fluid cognition

• Crystallised cognition

• Overall cognitive function

Testing occurred at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks.

What did the researchers find?

At the start of the study, participants:

• Scored very highly in crystallised cognition (97th–98th percentile)

• Scored below average in fluid cognition

This highlighted a key issue: these were capable, intelligent women whose ability to process and manage new information had been disproportionately affected.

Results for restorative yoga

Women in the restorative yoga group showed:

• Significant improvements in fluid cognition at 12 weeks

• Further improvements at 24 weeks

• Movement from below-average to above-average performance on tests of attention and memory (fluid cognition)

  
  

These improvements are clinically meaningful and likely noticeable in daily life — especially for tasks involving focus, memory, and mental flexibility.

Results for vigorous yoga

Women in the vigorous yoga group showed:

• Improvement mainly in crystallised cognition

• Smaller, non-significant changes in fluid cognition

At 24 weeks, when the two groups were compared directly, restorative yoga was associated with significantly better fluid cognition.

Why might restorative yoga be more effective than physically demanding yoga?

Restorative yoga emphasises qualities that may be particularly important after cancer:

• Down-regulation of the nervous system

• Reduced cognitive and physical load

• Sustained, gentle attention

• Breath-based awareness

• Reduced stress hormones

Cancer treatment places enormous strain on the nervous system. Practices that support safety, regulation, and rest may create conditions where cognitive function can gradually recover. The study also found that adherence was higher in the restorative yoga group, suggesting it was easier to maintain — an important factor in survivorship care.

What this means if you’re experiencing “chemo brain”

If you’re living with cancer-related cognitive changes, one of the hardest parts can be the feeling that there’s very little you can do about it. This study offers something important: evidence that a gentle, structured restorative yoga practice may help improve the type of thinking most commonly affected by chemo brain, including attention, memory, and mental flexibility. Restorative yoga is a way to work with the nervous system and not against it and honours both the body and the brain during recovery. Perhaps more importantly however, it offers patients permission to recover without pushing.

Reference

Deng G, Bao T, Ryan EL, et al. Effects of Vigorous Versus Restorative Yoga Practice on Objective Cognitive Functions in Sedentary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2022;21:1–6