Aerobic exercise and CogniTIVe functioning in women with breAsT cancEr (ACTIVATE): A randomized controlled trial.

Background: As the prevalence of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment rises, investigation into treatment options is critical. The objectives of this study were to test the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention initiated during chemotherapy compared to usual care (wait list control condition) on (1) objectively measured cognitive function and self-reported cognitive function, as well as on (2) the impact of cognitive impairment on quality of life (QOL) postintervention (commensurate with chemotherapy completion).

Methods: The Aerobic exercise and CogniTIVe functioning in women with breAsT cancEr (ACTIVATE) trial was a two-arm, two-center randomized controlled trial conducted in Ottawa and Vancouver (Canada).

The effect of Transcendental Meditation on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and gratitude, for increasing empowerment of female youth in Uganda.

This longitudinal study with female youth in the slums of Kampala, Uganda (), explored the impact of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique on the primary outcome measure, and and as secondary outcomes. Quality-of-life behaviors were also assessed, including excessive alcohol use. After baseline testing participants learned TM over five consecutive days.

Acceptability, usability, and credibility of a mindfulness-based digital therapeutic for pediatric concussion: A mixed-method study.

Background: The ability to cope with concussion symptoms and manage stress is an important determinant of risk for prolonged symptoms.

Objective: This open-label mixed-methods pilot study assessed the acceptability and credibility of a mindfulness-based intervention delivered through a digital therapeutic (DTx; therapeutic smartphone app) for pediatric concussion.

Methods: Participants aged 12 to 18 years were recruited from an emergency department within 48 hours of a concussion (acute cohort) or from a tertiary care clinic at least 1-month post-concussion (persisting symptoms cohort).

Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive function among breast cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) survivors frequently report changes in cognition after chemotherapy. Mindfulness may benefit survivors by mitigating cancer-related cognitive impairment. As part of a larger study investigating the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for BC survivors living with neuropathic pain, the authors assessed whether MBSR would have an effect on cognitive outcomes.

Increased gray matter following mindfulness-based stress reduction in breast cancer survivors with chronic neuropathic pain: preliminary evidence using voxel-based morphometry.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on gray matter volume (GMV) in female breast cancer survivors who suffer from chronic neuropathic pain (CNP).

Methods: Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to explore differences in GMV in 13 MBSR trainees and 10 waitlisted controls, with MRI scans and self-report measures completed pre- and post-8 weeks of training.

Results: Compared to controls, the MBSR group had greater GMV in the angular gyrus and middle frontal gyrus post-training.

Preliminary Evidence of Improvement in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors' Brain Health Following Physical Activity: A Proof-of-Concept Sub-Study.

Background: Cognitive impairment is common among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Physical activity (PA) may help mitigate cognitive impairment post-treatment by positively impacting two indicators of general brain health: fractional anisotropy (FA) and functional connectivity (FC). As part of a two-arm, mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), this sub-study was designed to provide preliminary proof-of-concept evidence for the effects of PA on FA and FC among AYA cancer survivors post-treatment to help inform decisions about proceeding to larger trials.

A proof-of-concept sub-study exploring feasibility and preliminary evidence for the role of physical activity on neural activity during executive functioning tasks among young adults after cancer treatment.

Background: Executive functioning (EF) deficits are troubling for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) after cancer treatment. Physical activity (PA) may enhance neural activity underlying EF among older adults affected by cancer. Establishing whether PA enhances neural activity among AYAs is warranted.

Cognitive dysfunction after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Rate of impairment and clinical predictors.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate and domains of cognitive impairment in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors, as compared to patients who experienced a myocardial infarction (MI), and to explore mechanisms and predictors of this impairment.

Methods And Results: OHCA survivors with "good" neurological recovery (i.e.

Study protocol of the Aerobic exercise and CogniTIVe functioning in women with breAsT cancEr (ACTIVATE) trial: a two-arm, two-centre randomized controlled trial.

Background: Up to 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer report chemotherapy-related cognitive changes (CRCC) during treatment, including decreased memory, attention, and processing speed. Though CRCC negatively impacts everyday functioning and reduces overall quality of life in women diagnosed with breast cancer, effective interventions to prevent and/or manage CRCC are elusive. Consequently, women seldom receive advice on how to prevent or manage CRCC.

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

Purpose: The present study explores the benefits of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program to white matter integrity among breast cancer survivors experiencing chronic neuropathic pain (CNP).

Methods: Twenty-three women were randomly assigned to either a MBSR treatment group (n = 13) or a waitlist control group (n = 10). Participants were imaged with MRI prior to and post-MBSR training using diffusion tensor imaging.

Exploratory Analyses of Cerebral Gray Matter Volumes After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Good Outcome Survivors.

Background: Survival rates of cardiac arrest have increased over recent years, however, survivors may still be left with significant morbidity and functional impairment. A primary concern in cardiac arrest survivors is the effect of prolonged hypoxia/ischemia on the brain. The objectives of the present study were threefold: (1) to explore the effect of cardiac arrest on brain gray matter volumes (GMV) in "good outcome" survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), (2) to examine the relationship between GMV, cognitive functioning and arrest factors, and (3) to explore whether OHCA patients differ from a group of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) uncomplicated by cardiac arrest and a group of healthy controls in terms of GMV.

Imaging cognitive fatigability in multiple sclerosis: objective quantification of cerebral blood flow during a task of sustained attention using ASL perfusion fMRI.

Cognitive fatigability (CF) can be defined as an inability to maintain performance throughout a sustained cognitive task. Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more susceptible to CF than healthy controls (HCs); however, the neural correlates underlying CF are still under investigation. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging provides a non-invasive method of objectively quantifying cerebral blood flow (CBF) during sustained attention tasks.

Trait Mindfulness and Wellness in Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive, autoimmune, neurodegenerative disorder that can interfere with physical and psychological functioning, negatively affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Fostering mindfulness may mitigate the negative consequences of MS on HRQoL. The relationship between mindfulness, mood and MS-related quality of life was investigated.

A Longitudinal Evaluation of Cognitive Fatigue on a Task of Sustained Attention in Early Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Cognitive fatigue can be objectively measured on tasks of sustained attention and can be defined as decreased performance as a result of sustained cognitive effort. Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) early in their disease are vulnerable to cognitive fatigue, although this has yet to be evaluated longitudinally. We aimed to evaluate cognitive fatigue over a 3-year interval in individuals with early-phase relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Predictive Models of Cognitive Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: Cognitive fatigue (CF) can be defined as decreased performance with sustained cognitive effort. The present study examined the interrelatedness of disease severity, fatigue, depression, and sleep quality in order to evaluate their predictive roles of CF in MS. Four theoretical models examining these variables were assessed.

Neural impact of low-level alcohol use on response inhibition: An fMRI investigation in young adults.

It is widely known that alcohol consumption adversely affects human health, particularly in the immature developing brains of adolescents and young adults, which may also have a long-lasting impact on executive functioning. The present study investigated the neural activity of 28 young adults from the Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study (OPPS) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The purpose of this study was to discover the impact of regular low-level alcohol consumption on response inhibition as the participants performed a Go/No-Go task.

Repetition-lag memory training is feasible in patients with chronic stroke, including those with memory problems.

Primary Objective: Repetition-lag memory training was developed to increase individuals' use of recollection as opposed to familiarity in recognition memory. The goals of this study were to examine the feasibility of repetition-lag training in patients with chronic stroke and to explore whether the training might show suggestions of transfer to non-trained tasks.

Research Design: Quasi-experimental.

Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN) associated with progressive cognitive and behavioral deterioration.

Objective: Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia with deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN) is an emerging syndrome caused by mutations in the C-terminus end of the TS domain of the DNMT1 gene. ADCA-DN is also associated with sensorimotor polyneuropathy, extrapyramidal, and dysautonomic signs, as well as dementia. Little has been reported about the progressive cognitive impairment associated with ADCA-DN.

Prenatal marijuana exposure impacts executive functioning into young adulthood: An fMRI study.

Understanding the potentially harmful long term consequences of prenatal marijuana exposure is important given the increase in number of pregnant women smoking marijuana to relieve morning sickness. Altered executive functioning is one area of research that has suggested negative consequences of prenatal marijuana exposure into adolescence. Investigating if these findings continue into young adulthood and exploring the neural basis of these effects was the purpose of this research.

An fMRI Study of Risky Decision Making: The Role of Mental Preparation and Conflict.

Introduction: The current study aimed to elucidate the role of preparatory cognitive control in decision making and its neural correlates using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). To this effect, by employing a series of new cognitive tasks, we assessed the role of preparatory cognitive control in monetary (risky) decision making.

Methods: The participants had to decide between a risky and a safe gamble based on their chance of winning (high or low).

Corrigendum: Training Recollection in Healthy Older Adults: Clear Improvements on the Training Task, but Little Evidence of Transfer.

[This corrects the article on p. 898 in vol. 8, PMID: 25477801.

Training recollection in healthy older adults: clear improvements on the training task, but little evidence of transfer.

Normal aging holds negative consequences for memory, in particular for the ability to recollect the precise details of an experience. With this in mind, Jennings and Jacoby (2003) developed a recollection training method using a single-probe recognition memory paradigm in which new items (i.e.

Effects of low-level alcohol use on cognitive interference: an fMRI study in young adults.

Alcohol consumption is widely known to adversely affect human health. Its neuropathology is largely evident in the cerebellum and frontal lobes, particularly in the immature brains of adolescents and young adults. It may also have a long-lasting impact on executive functioning.

The long-term effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on verbal working memory: an fMRI study of young adults.

Background: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the long-term effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on verbal working memory were investigated in young adults. Participants were members of the Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study, a longitudinal study that collected a unique body of information on participants from infancy to young adulthood. This allowed for the measurement of an unprecedented number of potentially confounding drug exposure variables including: prenatal marijuana and alcohol exposure and current marijuana, nicotine and alcohol use.