# Light Physical Activity for Brain Health in Older Adult Breast Cancer Survivors

> **NIH NIH F32** · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV HERSHEY MED CTR · 2022 · $68,571

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Although breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world, recently, the survival rate has greatly improved.
With this improved survival rate, there is a growing population of obese, older adult breast cancer survivors facing unique
challenges and late effects on brain health. Breast cancer survivors suffer cognitive impairments before, during, and post-
treatment; more than one third experience persistent cognitive impairment lasting decades. Anxiety is the most common
psychological symptom among cancer survivors, and frequently unrecognized and undertreated in health care settings.
These survivors are also at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. There is unanimous consensus that physical
activity and alcohol consumption are key modifiable behaviors to improve the physical and mental health of cancer
survivors. Further, the American Cancer Society promotes increasing physical activity, and avoiding alcohol to manage
treatment-related cognitive impairment. Although the benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors are well-established,
the evidence is predominantly derived from guidelines-based, moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity. However,
survivors often do not meet guidelines for moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, do not adhere to physical
activity interventions set at this intensity, and enjoy and prefer lighter-intensity activities. Much less is known about the
effects of light-intensity physical activity on cognitive function and anxiety symptoms, and the 2018 United States Physical
Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report identified the need to determine the role and contribution of
light-intensity activity to diverse health outcomes as an overarching research need. Additionally, less is known about the
effects of physical activity interventions on changes in alcohol consumption. Recent findings indicate physical activity may
unintentionally increase alcohol consumption among cancer survivors. Increasing alcohol consumption places survivors at
increased risk of recurrence, and may confound the positive effects of physical activity. Therefore, in the process of
evaluating the effects of light-intensity physical activity on brain health outcomes among obese, older adult breast cancer
survivors, the effects on alcohol consumption should be evaluated as well, to avoid unintended consequences. The light-
intensity physical activity-breast cancer survivors (LIPA-BCS) trial addresses multiple knowledge gaps, with a primary and
secondary focus on improving cognitive function and anxiety symptoms. The proposed work builds on this existing
randomized controlled trial that randomizes obese, older adult breast cancer survivors 1-10 years post-breast cancer
treatment, to either 15 weeks of light-intensity physical activity, or usual care. I will take advantage of this existing clinical
trial to quantify and describe the effects on cognitive functio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10464004
- **Project number:** 1F32AG078229-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV HERSHEY MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Brett Ryan Gordon
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $68,571
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10464004

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10464004, Light Physical Activity for Brain Health in Older Adult Breast Cancer Survivors (1F32AG078229-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10464004. Licensed CC0.

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