An Interventional Trial Using Guided Meditation During Radiation Therapy for Brain Tumors

Summary

The goal of this interventional treatment study is to assess the anxiolytic effect of providing guided meditation during radiation treatment (RT) in patients with brain tumors. The main question it aims to answer is: • What is the change in acute anxiety in participants receiving the mindfulness intervention during radiation therapy compared to standard of care control conditions? Participants will be asked to participate in a 5-minute, audio-recorded mindfulness practice that will be played during the administration of each RT session. Researchers will compare this intervention to standard of care (no intervention) during RT.

Eligibility

Age range

18+ years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

No

Interventions

• Behavioral
  10 to 15-Minute, Audio-Recorded Guided Mediation Practice

  Five different meditation practices will be provided, all of which have been validated in prior research. * The Body Scan practice consists of instruction in how to direct non-judgmental attention to different regions of the body * The Mindful Breathing practice consists of focused attention on the breath and metacognitive monitoring and acceptance of discursive thoughts, negative emotions, and body sensations * The Mindfulness of Discomfort practice consists of instruction in how to "zoom in" to deconstruct discomfort and map each feelings' spatial location, use mindful breathing to "zoom out" and broaden the field of awareness to include neglected sensory elements, and shift attention from unpleasant feelings to neutral/pleasant sensations or experiences * The Savoring practice consists of instruction in identifying and amplifying pleasant memories * The Loving-Kindness practice consists of instruction in cultivating feeling of warmth and compassion toward the self and others

Location