Abstract
Objectives
Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a common side effect of breast cancer treatment and has been linked to structural brain abnormalities. As previous research showed that mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) might alter brain structure, we hypothesized that MBI can induce structural brain recovery after chemotherapy in breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints.
Method
Female breast cancer survivors reporting cognitive complaints (n = 117) were randomly assigned to a mindfulness (n = 43), physical training (n = 36), or waitlist control condition (n = 38). Multimodal MRI was used to investigate differences between groups in gray matter volume changes using a voxel-based morphometry analysis, and white matter structure using a fixel-based whole-brain and tract-based analysis.
Results
Ninety-five participants completed structural MRI scans before the intervention, immediately after, and 3 months post-intervention. Comparing MBI to the waitlist control group, results showed an increase in gray matter volume in the right primary motor cortex immediately after MBI compared to baseline. Tract-based analysis showed small regional differences within the corpus callosum between both intervention groups and the waitlist controls. No differences in the whole-brain white matter or between MBI and physical training could be identified.
Conclusions
This study showed that MBI may be associated with subtle short-term structural brain changes in a region involved in the control of voluntary movements and pain processing, which might indirectly impact cognitive functioning. However, no long-term effects were found, suggesting that longer interventions might be needed to widely affect brain structure and associated CRCI. Nonetheless, MBI might show promise as a non-invasive intervention in the context of CRCI.
Preregistration
The study was registered at clinicaltrial.gov (NCT03736460).
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Data Availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.
Change history
22 June 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02154-z
References
Bartley, T. (2012). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for cancer: Gently turning towards. Wiley.
Bates, D., Mächler, M., Bolker, B. M., & Walker, S. C. (2015). Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software, 67(1), 1–48. https://doi.org/10.18637/JSS.V067.I01
Benjamini, Y., & Hochberg, Y. (1995). Controlling the false discovery rate - a practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series: B Methodological, 57(1), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x
Billiet, T., Emsell, L., Vandenbulcke, M., Peeters, R., Christiaens, D., Leemans, A., Van Hecke, W., Smeets, A., Amant, F., Sunaert, S., & Deprez, S. (2018). Recovery from chemotherapy-induced white matter changes in young breast cancer survivors? Brain Imaging and Behavior, 12(1), 64–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-016-9665-8
Blommaert, J., Radwan, A., Sleurs, C., Maggen, C., van Gerwen, M., Wolters, V., Christiaens, D., Peeters, R., Dupont, P., Sunaert, S., Van Calsteren, K., Deprez, S., & Amant, F. (2020). The impact of cancer and chemotherapy during pregnancy on child neurodevelopment: a multimodal neuroimaging analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 28, 100598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100598
Broadbent, D. E., Cooper, P. F., FitzGerald, P., & Parkes, K. R. (1982). The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and its correlates. The British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 21(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.2044-8260.1982.TB01421.X
Cheng, A. S. K., Wang, X., Niu, N., Liang, M., & Zeng, Y. (2022). Neuropsychological interventions for cancer-related cognitive impairment: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Neuropsychology Review, 32(4), 893–905. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11065-021-09532-1/FIGURES/5
Chiesa, A. (2013). The difficulty of defining mindfulness: Current thought and critical issues. Mindfulness, 4(3), 255–268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0123-4
Cillessen, L., Johannsen, M., Speckens, A. E. M., & Zachariae, R. (2019). Mindfulness-based interventions for psychological and physical health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psycho-Oncology, 28(12), 2257–2269. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5214
Davidson, R. J., & Kaszniak, A. W. (2015). Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist, 70(7), 581–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039512
De Ruiter, M. B., Reneman, L., Boogerd, W., Veltman, D. J., Caan, M., Douaud, G., Lavini, C., Linn, S. C., Boven, E., Van Dam, F. S. A. M., & Schagen, S. B. (2012). Late effects of high-dose adjuvant chemotherapy on white and gray matter in breast cancer survivors: Converging results from multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. Human Brain Mapping, 33(12), 2971–2983. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.21422
Deprez, S., Billiet, T., Sunaert, S., & Leemans, A. (2013). Diffusion tensor MRI of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment in non-CNS cancer patients: A review. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 7(4), 409–435. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11682-012-9220-1
Feng, Y., Zhang, X. D., Zheng, G., & Zhang, L. J. (2019). Chemotherapy-induced brain changes in breast cancer survivors: Evaluation with multimodality magnetic resonance imaging. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 13(6), 1799–1814. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11682-019-00074-Y
Floyd, R., Dyer, A. H., & Kennelly, S. P. (2021). Non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment in women with breast cancer post-chemotherapy: A systematic review. Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 12(2), 173–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JGO.2020.05.012
Fox, K. C. R., Dixon, M. L., Nijeboer, S., Girn, M., Floman, J. L., Lifshitz, M., Ellamil, M., Sedlmeier, P., & Christoff, K. (2016). Functional neuroanatomy of meditation: A review and meta-analysis of 78 functional neuroimaging investigations. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 65, 208–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.021
Fox, K. R. C., Nijeboer, S., Dixon, M. L., Floman, J. L., Ellamil, M., Rumak, S. P., Sedlmeier, P., & Christoff, K. (2014). Is meditation associated with altered brain structure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of morphometric neuroimaging in meditation practitioners. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 43, 48–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.016
Friston, K. J., Holmes, A. P., Worsley, K. J., Poline, J.-P., Frith, C. D., & Frackowiak, R. S. J. (1994). Statistical parametric maps in functional imaging: A general linear approach. Human Brain Mapping, 2(4), 189–210. https://doi.org/10.1002/HBM.460020402
Gaser, C., & Dahnke, R. (2016). CAT - a computational anatomy toolbox for the analysis of structural MRI data. Human Brain Mapping. http://www.neuro.uni-jena.de/hbm2016/GaserHBM2016.pdf
Genc, S., Smith, R. E., Malpas, C. B., Anderson, V., Nicholson, J. M., Efron, D., Sciberras, E., Seal, M. L., & Silk, T. J. (2018). Development of white matter fibre density and morphology over childhood: A longitudinal fixel-based analysis. NeuroImage, 183, 666–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.043
Gorgolewski, K. J., Auer, T., Calhoun, V. D., Craddock, R. C., Das, S., Duff, E. P., Flandin, G., Ghosh, S. S., Glatard, T., Halchenko, Y. O., Handwerker, D. A., Hanke, M., Keator, D., Li, X., Michael, Z., Maumet, C., Nichols, B. N., Nichols, T. E., Pellman, J., … Poldrack, R. A. (2016). The brain imaging data structure, a format for organizing and describing outputs of neuroimaging experiments. Scientific Data, 3(1), 160044. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.44
Gotink, R. A., Meijboom, R., Vernooij, M. W., Smits, M., & Hunink, M. G. M. (2016). 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice – a systematic review. Brain and Cognition, 108, 32–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001
Goto, Y., Hosomi, K., Shimokawa, T., Shimizu, T., Yoshino, K., Kim, S. J., Mano, T., Kishima, H., & Saitoh, Y. (2020). Pilot study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 73, 101–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOCN.2020.01.020
Hatchard, T., Mioduszewski, O., Zambrana, A., O’Farrell, E., Caluyong, M., Poulin, P. A., & Smith, A. M. (2017). Neural changes associated with mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): Current knowledge, limitations, and future directions. Psychology & Neuroscience, 10(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1037/PNE0000073
Hatchard, T., Penta, S., Mioduzsewski, O., Correia, S., Tissera, T., Brown, O., Haefner, S. A., Poulin, P., & Smith, A. M. (2022). Increased gray matter following mindfulness-based stress reduction in breast cancer survivors with chronic neuropathic pain: Preliminary evidence using voxel-based morphometry. Acta Neurologica Belgica, 122(3), 735–743. https://doi.org/10.1007/S13760-022-01877-5
Haydon, M. D., Stanton, A. L., Ganz, P. A., & Bower, J. E. (2019). Goal disturbance in early-stage breast cancer survivors. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 37(4), 478–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2018.1563265
Inagaki, M., Yoshikawa, E., Matsuoka, Y., Sugawara, Y., Nakano, T., Akechi, T., Wada, N., Imoto, S., Murakami, K., Uchitomi, Y., Kobayakawa, M., Akizuki, N., & Fujimori, M. (2007). Smaller regional volumes of brain gray and white matter demonstrated in breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy. Cancer, 109(1), 146–156. https://doi.org/10.1002/CNCR.22368
Jeurissen, B., Descoteaux, M., Mori, S., & Leemans, A. (2019). Diffusion MRI fiber tractography of the brain. NMR in Biomedicine, 32(4), e3785. https://doi.org/10.1002/nbm.3785
Jo, H. G., Hinterberger, T., Wittmann, M., & Schmidt, S. (2015). Do meditators have higher awareness of their intentions to act? Cortex, 65, 149–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CORTEX.2014.12.015
Jo, H. G., Malinowski, P., & Schmidt, S. (2017). Frontal theta dynamics during response conflict in long-term mindfulness meditators. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 299. https://doi.org/10.3389/FNHUM.2017.00299
Johannsen, M., O’Connor, M., O’Toole, M. S., Jensen, A. B., Højris, I., & Zachariae, R. (2016). Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on late post-treatment pain in women treated for primary breast cancer: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 34(28), 3390–3399. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2015.65.0770
Johannsen, M., O’Connor, M., O’Toole, M. S., Jensen, A. B., & Zachariae, R. (2018). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and persistent pain in women treated for primary breast cancer: Exploring possible statistical mediators: Results from a randomized controlled trial. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 34(1), 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000000510
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Bantam Books.
Khera, T., & Rangasamy, V. (2021). Cognition and pain: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 673962. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2021.673962
Koppelmans, V., De Ruiter, M. B., Van Der Lijn, F., Boogerd, W., Seynaeve, C., Van Der Lugt, A., Vrooman, H., Niessen, W. J., Breteler, M. M. B., & Schagen, S. B. (2012). Global and focal brain volume in long-term breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 132(3), 1099–1106. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10549-011-1888-1
Kral, T. R. A., Davis, K., Korponay, C., Hirshberg, M. J., Hoel, R., Tello, L. Y., Goldman, R. I., Rosenkranz, M. A., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Absence of structural brain changes from mindfulness-based stress reduction: Two combined randomized controlled trials. Science Advances, 8(20), 3316. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIADV.ABK3316
Lange, M., Joly, F., Vardy, J., Ahles, T., Dubois, M., Tron, L., Winocur, G., De Ruiter, M. B., & Castel, H. (2019). Cancer-related cognitive impairment: An update on state of the art, detection, and management strategies in cancer survivors. Annals of Oncology, 30(12), 1925–1940. https://doi.org/10.1093/ANNONC/MDZ410
Lepage, C., Smith, A. M., Moreau, J., Barlow-Krelina, E., Wallis, N., Collins, B., MacKenzie, J., & Scherling, C. (2014). A prospective study of grey matter and cognitive function alterations in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients. SpringerPlus, 3, 444. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-3-444
Li, M., & Caeyenberghs, K. (2018). Longitudinal assessment of chemotherapy-induced changes in brain and cognitive functioning: A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 92, 304–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NEUBIOREV.2018.05.019
Lin, L.-Y., Lin, L.-H., Tzeng, G.-L., Huang, Y.-H., Tai, J.-F., Chen, Y.-L., Wu, C.-J., Chen, P.-H., Lin, P.-C., & Hung, P.-L. (2022). Effects of mindfulness-based therapy for cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 29, 432–445. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10880-022-09862-Z
Lloyd, A., White, R., Eames, C., & Crane, R. (2018). The utility of home-practice in mindfulness-based group interventions: A systematic review. Mindfulness, 9(3), 673–692. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12671-017-0813-Z
Luders, E., Phillips, O. R., Clark, K., Kurth, F., Toga, A. W., & Narr, K. L. (2012). Bridging the hemispheres in meditation: Thicker callosal regions and enhanced fractional anisotropy (FA) in long-term practitioners. NeuroImage, 61(1), 181–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.02.026
Maajani, K., Jalali, A., Alipour, S., Khodadost, M., Tohidinik, H. R., & Yazdani, K. (2019). The global and regional survival rate of women with breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Breast Cancer, 19(3), 165–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CLBC.2019.01.006
Marchand, W. R. (2014). Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies. World Journal of Radiology, 6(7), 471–479. https://doi.org/10.4329/wjr.v6.i7.471
Martinez-Heras, E., Grussu, F., Prados, F., Solana, E., & Llufriu, S. (2021). Diffusion-weighted imaging: Recent advances and applications. Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI, 42(5), 490–506. https://doi.org/10.1053/J.SULT.2021.07.006
McDonald, B. C. (2021). Structural neuroimaging findings related to adult non-CNS cancer and treatment: Review, integration, and implications for treatment of cognitive dysfunction. Neurotherapeutics, 18(2), 792–810. https://doi.org/10.1007/S13311-021-01096-5
McDonald, B. C., Conroy, S. K., Ahles, T. A., West, J. D., & Saykin, A. J. (2010). Gray matter reduction associated with systemic chemotherapy for breast cancer: A prospective MRI study. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 123(3), 819–828. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-1088-4
Melis, M., Schroyen, G., Leenaerts, N., Smeets, A., Sunaert, S., Van der Gucht, K., & Deprez, S. (2023). The impact of mindfulness on cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/CNCR.34
Melis, M., Schroyen, G., Pollefeyt, J., Raes, F., Smeets, A., Sunaert, S., Deprez, S., & Van der Gucht, K. (2022). The impact of mindfulness-based interventions on brain functional connectivity: A systematic review. Mindfulness, 13(8), 1857–1875. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12671-022-01919-2
Mioduszewski, O., Hatchard, T., Fang, Z., Poulin, P., Khoo, E. L., Romanow, H., Shergill, Y., Tennant, E., Schneider, M. A., Browne, N., & Smith, A. M. (2020). Breast cancer survivors living with chronic neuropathic pain show improved brain health following mindfulness-based stress reduction: A preliminary diffusion tensor imaging study. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 14(6), 915–922. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-020-00903-w
Mooneyham, B. W., Mrazek, M. D., Mrazek, A. J., & Schooler, J. W. (2016). Signal or noise: Brain network interactions underlying the experience and training of mindfulness. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1369(1), 240–256. https://doi.org/10.1111/NYAS.13044
Nieuwenhuis, R., te Grotenhuis, M., & Pelzer, B. (2012). influence.ME: tools for detecting influential data in mixed effects models-web of science core collection. R Journal, 4(2), 38–47.
Oldacres, L., Hegarty, J., O’Regan, P., Murphy-Coakley, N. M., & Saab, M. M. (2023). Interventions promoting cognitive function in patients experiencing cancer related cognitive impairment: A systematic review. Psycho-Oncology, 32(2), 214–228. https://doi.org/10.1002/PON.6073
Parsons, C. E., Madsen, M. A., Jensen, K. L., Kæseler, S., Fjorback, L. O., Piet, J., Roepstorff, A., & Linehan, C. (2020). Smartphone monitoring of participants’ engagement with home practice during mindfulness-based stress reduction: observational study. JMIR Mental Health, 7(1), e14467. https://doi.org/10.2196/14467
Patsenko, E. G., Adluru, N., Birn, R. M., Stodola, D. E., Kral, T. R. A., Farajian, R., Flook, L., Burghy, C. A., Steinkuehler, C., & Davidson, R. J. (2019). Mindfulness video game improves connectivity of the fronto-parietal attentional network in adolescents: a multi-modal imaging study. Scientific Reports, 9, 18667. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-53393-x
Pernet, C. R., Belov, N., Delorme, A., & Zammit, A. (2021). Mindfulness related changes in grey matter: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 15(5), 2720–2730. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11682-021-00453-4
Ponds, R., van Boxtel, M., & Jolles, J. (2006). De “Cognitive Failure Questionnaire” als maat voor subjectief cognitief functioneren. Tijdschrift Voor Neuropsychologie, 2, 37–45.
Radwan, A. M., Sunaert, S., Schilling, K., Descoteaux, M., Landman, B. A., Vandenbulcke, M., Theys, T., Dupont, P., & Emsell, L. (2022). An atlas of white matter anatomy, its variability, and reproducibility based on constrained spherical deconvolution of diffusion MRI. NeuroImage, 254, 119029. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2022.119029
Raffelt, D. A., Smith, R. E., Ridgway, G. R., Tournier, J. D., Vaughan, D. N., Rose, S., Henderson, R., & Connelly, A. (2015). Connectivity-based fixel enhancement: Whole-brain statistical analysis of diffusion MRI measures in the presence of crossing fibres. NeuroImage, 117, 40–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.039
Raffelt, D. A., Tournier, J. D., Smith, R. E., Vaughan, D. N., Jackson, G., Ridgway, G. R., & Connelly, A. (2017). Investigating white matter fibre density and morphology using fixel-based analysis. NeuroImage, 144(Pt A), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.09.029
Riegner, G., Posey, G., Oliva, V., Jung, Y., Mobley, W., & Zeidan, F. (2023). Disentangling self from pain: Mindfulness meditation–induced pain relief is driven by thalamic–default mode network decoupling. Pain, 164(2), 280–291. https://doi.org/10.1097/J.PAIN.0000000000002731
Schroyen, G., Vissers, J., Smeets, A., Gillebert, C. R., Lemiere, J., Sunaert, S., Deprez, S., & Sleurs, C. (2022). Blood and neuroimaging biomarkers of cognitive sequelae in breast cancer patients throughout chemotherapy: a systematic review. Translational Oncology, 16, 101297. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRANON.2021.101297
Shen, Y. Q., Zhou, H. X., Chen, X., Castellanos, F. X., & Yan, C. G. (2020). Meditation effect in changing functional integrations across large-scale brain networks: preliminary evidence from a meta-analysis of seed-based functional connectivity. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 14, e10. https://doi.org/10.1017/prp.2020.1
Smith, R. E., Connelly, A., & Dhollander, T. (2019). On the regression of intracranial volume in fixel-based analysis. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332857716
Smith, R. E., Tournier, J. D., Calamante, F., & Connelly, A. (2013). SIFT: Spherical-deconvolution informed filtering of tractograms. NeuroImage, 67, 298–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.049
Sousa, H., Almeida, S., Bessa, J., & Pereira, M. G. (2020). The developmental trajectory of cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: A systematic review of longitudinal neuroimaging studies. Neuropsychology Review, 30(3), 287–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-020-09441-9
Stanic, J., Barth, J., Danon, N., Bondolfi, G., Jermann, F., & Eicher, M. (2021). Adherence to standardized 8-week mindfulness-based interventions among women with breast or gynecological cancer: a scoping review. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice, 3(2), e048. https://doi.org/10.1097/OR9.0000000000000048
Tang, Y.-Y., Lu, Q., Fan, M., Yang, Y., & Posner, M. I. (2012). Mechanisms of white matter changes induced by meditation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(26), 10570–10574.https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1207817109
Tournier, J. D., Smith, R., Raffelt, D., Tabbara, R., Dhollander, T., Pietsch, M., Christiaens, D., Jeurissen, B., Yeh, C. H., & Connelly, A. (2019). MRtrix3: A fast, flexible and open software framework for medical image processing and visualisation. NeuroImage, 202, 116137. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2019.116137
Tournier, J., Mori, S., & Leemans, A. (2011). Diffusion tensor imaging and beyond. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 65(6), 1532–1556. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.22924
Van der Gucht, K., Ahmadoun, S., Melis, M., Cloe, E., Sleurs, C., Radwan, A., Blommaert, J., Takano, K., Vandenbulcke, M., Wildiers, H., Neven, P., Kuppens, P., Raes, F., Smeets, A., Sunaert, S., & Deprez, S. (2020a). Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on cancer-related cognitive impairment: Results of a randomized controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging pilot study. Cancer, 126(18), 4246–4255. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.33074
Van Der Gucht, K., Melis, M., Ahmadoun, S., Gebruers, A., Smeets, A., Vandenbulcke, M., Wildiers, H., Neven, P., Kuppens, P., Raes, F., Sunaert, S., & Deprez, S. (2020b). A mindfulness-based intervention for breast cancer patients with cognitive impairment after chemotherapy: Study protocol of a three-group randomized controlled trial. Trials, 21, 290. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13063-020-4204-8
Weder, B. J. (2022). Mindfulness in the focus of the neurosciences - the contribution of neuroimaging to the understanding of mindfulness. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16, 310. https://doi.org/10.3389/FNBEH.2022.928522
WHO. (2015). WHO | Physical Activity and Adults. World Health Organization.
Yoon, Y. B., Bae, D., Kwak, S., Hwang, W. J., Cho, K. I. K., Lim, K.-O., Park, H. Y., Lee, T. Y., Kim, S. N., & Kwon, J. S. (2019). Plastic changes in the white matter induced by Templestay, a 4-day intensive mindfulness meditation program. Mindfulness, 10(11), 2294–2301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01199-3
Acknowledgements
Compliments to Silvia Kovacs for the practical organization of the study and her help with the data collection. We also like to thank Anneleen Gebruers, Ineke Van Mulders and Inge De Leeuw for the training.
Funding
This work was supported by “Kom op tegen Kanker” (Stand up to Cancer, The Flemish Society) and Research Foundation Flanders (MM—FWO, grant no. 1S68621N). The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by FWO and the Flemish Government—department EWI. The funding organizations provide financial support for research and do not review any research protocols.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Michelle Melis: investigation, methodology, formal analysis, writing (original draft), writing (review and editing).
Jeroen Blommaert: methodology, formal analysis, writing (review and editing).
Ahmed Radwan: methodology, formal analysis, writing (review and editing).
Ann Smeets: conceptualization, methodology, writing (review and editing).
Katleen Van der Gucht: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, writing (review and editing).
Sabine Deprez: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, project administration, supervision, writing (review and editing).
Stefan Sunaert: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, supervision, writing (review and editing).
All the authors approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee Research UZ/KU Leuven (S59396) and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed Consent
Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to participation.
Conflict of Interest
KVDG is a co-founder and director of the managing committee of the Leuven Mindfulness Centre (LMC). The LMC receives payments for workshops and presentations related to mindfulness given by KVDG. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Melis, M., Blommaert, J., Radwan, A. et al. Structural Brain Changes After a Mindfulness-Based Intervention in Breast Cancer Survivors with Cognitive Complaints. Mindfulness 14, 1606–1621 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02140-5
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02140-5