A recent study by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver has confirmed the existence of “chemo brain.” This condition, suffered by many patients after undergoing chemotherapy, is characterized by a wandering mind and difficulty concentrating. Though the symptoms of chemo brain have been known for some time, this study is the first to explain why these symptoms happen.

The researchers measured the effects of chemo brain by asking test participants to complete a set of tasks that required focus while monitoring their brain activity. The brain monitoring confirmed that the brains of patients who have undergone chemotherapy have a difficult time staying focused.

The authors of the study explained that healthy brains tend to switch frequently between wandering and being focused. Minds affected by chemo brain are stuck in the non-focused mode.

The study also found that chemo brain sufferers were unable to tell whether they were focusing or not. Even when test participants thought they were paying attention to the task at hand, their brain scans showed that their minds were drifting elsewhere.

Interestingly, when participants were asked simply to relax rather than perform tasks, their brains were more active than those of healthy people. This suggested to the researchers that chemo brain causes patients become more focused on their inner world than normal.

Kristin Campbell, the head researcher on this study, hopes that its findings will be used to help identify and treat the neurological symptoms of chemotherapy. She is also conducting research on whether exercise can help mitigate chemo’s adverse neurological effects.