Changes in cerebral blood flow and anxiety associated with an 8-week mindfulness programme in women with breast cancer.
Daniel A Monti, Kathryn M Kash, Elisabeth J S Kunkel, George C. Brainard, Nancy Wintering, Aleezé S Moss, Hengyi Rao, Senhua Zhu, Andrew B. Newberg
Stress and Health December 2012 DOI: 10.1002/smi.2470 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Women with breast cancer diagnosed 6 months to 3 years before enrollment, aged 52 to 77 years, not in active treatment |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based Art Therapy (MBAT) education control |
| Duration | 8-week period |
| Measures | anxiety sub-scale of the Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | The MBAT programme was associated with increased cerebral blood flow at rest and during meditation in multiple limbic regions, and increased blood flow in the left caudate correlated with decreased anxiety scores. During a stressful cue, the MBAT group showed reduced posterior cingulate activation. |
Abstract
This study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) associated with the Mindfulness-based Art Therapy (MBAT) programme and correlate such changes to stress and anxiety in women with breast cancer. Eighteen breast cancer patients were randomized to the MBAT or education control group. The patients received the diagnosis of breast cancer between 6 months and 3 years prior to enrollment and were not in active treatment. The age of participants ranged from 52 to 77 years. A voxel-based analysis was performed to assess differences at rest, during meditation and during a stress task. The anxiety sub-scale of the Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised was compared with changes in resting CBF before and after the programmes. Subjects in the MBAT arm demonstrated significant increases in CBF at rest and during meditation in multiple limbic regions, including the left insula, right amygdala, right hippocampus and bilateral caudate. Patients in the MBAT programme also had a significant correlation between increased CBF in the left caudate and decreased anxiety scores. In the MBAT group, responses to a stressful cue resulted in reduced activation of the posterior cingulate. The results demonstrate that the MBAT programme was associated with significant changes in CBF, which correlated with decreased anxiety over an 8-week period.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies BioMed Research International 2015
- Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Insula Between Brain Wave Vibration in Meditators and Non-meditators Mindfulness March 19, 2018
- Don’t be afraid, try to meditate- potential effects on neural activity and connectivity of psilocybin-assisted mindfulness-based intervention for social anxiety disorder: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews June 6, 2022
- Effect of a one-week spiritual retreat on dopamine and serotonin transporter binding: a preliminary study Religion, Brain & Behavior March 22, 2017
- Alterations in cerebral glucose metabolism measured by FDG PET in subjects performing a meditation practice based on clitoral stimulation F1000Research September 7, 2022
and 13 more in the library
Cites 25
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
and 20 more in the library