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Epigenomics of Neurocognitive Function in Breast Cancer

This study harnessed the data and biospecimens from the Exercise Program in Cancer and Cognition (EPICC) study (parent study) that collected data on cognitive function, demographics, other symptoms and biospecimens at two time points (T1: enrollment, T2: six months later) within the context of a six-month randomized controlled trial of a moderate intensity aerobic exercise intervention. This study collected genome wide DNA methylation data from T1 and T2 and conducted epigenome-wide association-based analyses to find genes and biological pathways explaining variability in cognitive function and explaining how exercise mitigates cognitive decline. Our initial findings identified cg10331779 near CTNND2 (p-value=9.65×10-9) associated with processing speed and cg25906741 in MLIP (p-value=2.01×10-8) associated with subjectively measured cognitive function. Additionally, differentially methylated regions were identified near SLC6A11, PRKG1/CSTF2T, and FAM3B for processing speed and near PI4KB and SGCE/PEG10 for mental flexibility.