Although the present study suggested that the protective effects of XSECC on CCH-induced cognitive impairment in rats were achieved likely via regulating AKT/GSK-3β/CRMP2 signal pathway, we did not exclude the possibility that other cellular and molecular mechanisms were implicated in XSECC-induced improvement of the cognitive function following CCH. The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is columnar cell hyperplasia of the breast.