Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Event-Related Potentials (P3) and Depressive Symptoms in Oncological Patients.
Integrative Cancer Therapies January 1, 2024 Theresa Schweig, Madeleine Fink, Kira Schmidt et al.
In a small clinical trial, 17 cancer patients (average age 51, 11 women) completed a 5-week mindfulness-based intervention (two group sessions per week) while their brain responses to emotional images were measured via event-related potentials. Changes in the P3 brainwave component depended on both the emotional valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal level of the images. After the intervention, P3 amplitudes at the frontal electrode site Fz decreased significantly compared to before treatment, suggesting reduced neural reactivity to emotional stimuli. Depressive symptoms also showed a trend toward improvement. The findings indicate that mindfulness training may alter how the brain processes emotional information in cancer patients, with the strongest effects at frontal brain regions.