Breast cancer survivors living with chronic neuropathic pain show improved brain health following mindfulness-based stress reduction: a preliminary diffusion tensor imaging study

Mioduszewski, Ola; Hatchard, Taylor; Fang, Zhuo; Poulin, Patricia A.; Khoo, Eve‐Ling; Romanow, Heather; Shergill, Yaad; Tennant, Emily M; Schneider, Maiko Abel; Browne, Nikisha; Smith, Andra

doi:10.1007/s11764-020-00903-w

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mioduszewski and colleagues 31 used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on white matter integrity and pain levels in breast cancer patients. MBSR programs consist of training in self-awareness and stress management and are believed to help reduce chronic neuropathic pain.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 40 Their results provide evidence that mindfulness strengthens prefrontal cognitive control mechanisms, with a concomitant downregulation of activity in regions relevant for affect processing, such as the amygdala and subcortical regions. 41 Conversely, the included studies report activation of both limbic and cortical brain regions in breast cancer patients treated with mindfulness, 25 , 30 - 33 which is typical in untrained meditators. 42 Thus, although limbic activation is consistent with other fMRI studies, it needs to be further explored as these structures are expected to be less active in relaxation paradigms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Neural Signature of Psychological Interventions in Persons With Cancer: A Scoping Review

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: People diagnosed with cancer have to deal with the debilitating psychological implications of this disease. Although the clinical efficacy of psychological interventions is well documented, relatively little has been written on the neural correlates of these treatments in the context of oncology. The present work is the first to provide an overall perspective of the existing literature on this topic. It also considers the potential directions for future research. Methods: This scoping review was carried out across 5 databases (EMBASE, PsycINFO, OVID MEDLINE, CINAHL, COCHRANE CENTRAL), from conception dates until 3 December 2021. Results: From an initial set of 4172 records, 13 papers were selected for this review. They consisted of 9 randomized controlled studies (RCTs), 1 quasi-experiment, 2 single case studies, and 1 secondary quantitative analysis. The studies were also heterogeneous in terms of the patient and control populations, psychological interventions, and neuroimaging methodologies used. The findings from these few studies suggest that psychological interventions in oncology patients may modulate both cortical and subcortical brain activity, consistent with the brain areas involved in distress reactions in general and to cancer specifically. The implications of this scoping review in terms of future research are also discussed. Conclusions: The literature on the neural correlates of psychological interventions in cancer patients is very limited, and thus requires further exploration. The provision of psychological interventions offers cancer patients a more integrated approach to care, which may in turn help preserve both the physical and the psychological wellbeing of individuals with cancer.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Neural Signature of Psychological Interventions in Persons With Cancer: A Scoping Review

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Secondly, our exploratory neuroimaging studies investigating the influence of mindfulness on brain resting state and white matter integrity as well as emotional reactivity among 21 participants found a potential impact of MBSR on the neural correlates of CNP due to breast cancer treatment. These included improved white matter integrity in several brain regions [ 23 ], reduced activation in several brain areas involved in pain processing and emotional processing in the presence of pain-related stimuli (emotional Stroop task) [ 22 ], as well as altered default mode network activity/connectivity post-MBSR in comparison to controls [ 21 ]. The effect of natural recovery from cancer treatment-induced chronic neuropathic pain may have masked any effect of MBSR in our population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our secondary hypotheses were that participation in MBSR would result in reduced psychological distress and pain-related cognition, and improved quality of life at 3-month follow-up relative to control. Three exploratory studies focusing on the effects of MBSR training on cognitive function [ 21 ], brain structure [ 22 ] and function [ 23 ], and biomarkers of stress and inflammation [ 24 ] are reported in detail in separate manuscripts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Breast Cancer Survivors with Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Shergill

Rice

Khoo

et al. 2022

Pain Research and Management

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context. Many breast cancer survivors live with chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) after breast cancer treatment. Despite pharmacological management of CNP, many women continue to report disabling pain and reduced quality of life. Addressing pain with psychosocial interventions as an adjunct to pharmacological treatment is often recommended for CNP. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of group-delivered mindfulness-based stress reduction as compared to a waitlist control group among breast cancer survivors living with CNP. Methods. A randomized controlled trial design was applied, and outcomes collected included pain, emotional function, quality of life, and global impression of change. Results. A total of 98 women were randomized and included in analyses. The sample included 49 women in the mindfulness-based stress reduction group, and 49 women in the waitlist control group. The intervention group participants (mean age 51.3 years, standard deviation = 11.4) and waitlist participants (mean age 55.1 years, standard deviation = 9.6) reported an average pain duration of approximately three years. No significant differences were found on the primary outcome of the proportions of women with reduced pain interference scores from the time of randomization to 3 months after the intervention was received. No significant changes were found among secondary outcomes. Conclusion. Our randomized clinical trial did not find significant benefits of group-based mindfulness-based stress reduction for the management of CNP. The current study findings should be replicated and are important to consider given ongoing concerns that nonsignificant results of mindfulness-based stress reduction are often unpublished.

show abstract

“…In the present study, RD increased in the cingulum-cingulate tract in controls and decreased in MB-BP, suggesting a beneficial effect of MB-BP on white matter structure in this region and supporting a prior report that short-term meditative practices induce white matter changes in the cingulate, as well as the corona radiate (Tang et al 2010). Mindfulness has been specifically linked to structural changes in the cingulate (Mioduszewski et al 2020; Laneri et al 2015), as changes in white matter properties have been reported in the posterior cingulate cortex in experienced meditators (Laneri et al 2015; Kang et al 2013), the anterior cingulate cortex in experienced meditators and smokers, and healthy populations participating in mindfulness interventions (Kang et al 2013; Laneri et al 2015; Tang, Tang, and Posner 2016). MB-BP may attenuate hypertension related degeneration in cingulate cortex associated neural tracts through neurogenesis or myelination related mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP) Program on Depression and Neural Structural Connectivity

Polcari

Cali

Nephew

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hypertension-related illnesses are a leading cause of disability and death in the United States, where 46% of adults have hypertension and only half have it controlled. It is critical to reduce hypertension, and either new classes of interventions are required, or we need to develop enhanced approaches to improve medical regimen adherence. The Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction program (MB-BP) is showing novel mechanisms and early evidence of efficacy, but the neural correlates are unknown. The objectives of this study were to identify structural neural correlates of MB-BP using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) and assess potential correlations with key clinical outcomes. In a subset of participants from a larger randomized controlled trial, MB-BP participants exhibited increased interoception and decreased depressive symptoms compared to controls. Analyses of DTI data revealed significant group differences in several white matter neural tracts associated with the limbic system and/or hypertension. Specific changes in neural structural connectivity were significantly associated with measures of blood pressure, depression anxiety and symptoms, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. It is concluded that MB-BP has extensive and substantial effects on brain structural connectivity which could mediate beneficial changes in depression, interoceptive awareness, blood pressure, and related measures in individuals with hypertension.

show abstract

Breast cancer survivors living with chronic neuropathic pain show improved brain health following mindfulness-based stress reduction: a preliminary diffusion tensor imaging study

Cited by 11 publications

References 33 publications

The Neural Signature of Psychological Interventions in Persons With Cancer: A Scoping Review

The Neural Signature of Psychological Interventions in Persons With Cancer: A Scoping Review

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Breast Cancer Survivors with Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of the Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP) Program on Depression and Neural Structural Connectivity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About