Feasibility of an 8-week Tai Chi Chuan Intervention for Breast Cancer Survivors

The objective of this study is to gather preliminary data and to determine the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week Tai Chi intervention for adults within 60 months of having completed chemotherapy for treatment of a cancer diagnosis who report experiencing cognitive impairment (cancer-related cognitive impairment; CRCI). Tai Chi is a form of physical activity that includes an inherent level of cognitive engagement into its performance. Rodent studies provide evidence that including a cognitive component to physical activity (PA) changes its effect on the brain, with aerobic PA inducing angiogenesis and cognitively engaging PA inducing synaptogenesis. Human research with older adults indicates that interventions that combine PA and cognitive engagement produce greater cognitive benefits than PA alone. Experimental and meta-analytic evidence have shown that participation in PA improves cognitive performance in nonclinical and clinical populations, including breast cancer survivors. Importantly, physical activity benefits the same cognitive domains that are negatively affected by CRCI (i.e., attention/processing, memory, executive function). Recently, meta-analytic evidence showed that PA might benefit CRCI. However, in most studies cognitive outcomes are limited to measures of subjective cognitive function rather than objective measures of performance such as neuropsychological assessments or brain activity (e.g., EEG). Research into the effects of Tai Chi on CRCI is sparse, yet promising. Additionally, research has shown positive effects from Tai Chi on health-related quality of life and cytokines in cancer survivors. To achieve our objective of examining feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week Tai Chi intervention, we will use a single arm pre-/post-test non-randomized study design in adult breast cancer survivors (Enrollment goal N=15; current age ≥ 18 years, treatment completed within 60 months). Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after the 8-week Tai Chi intervention, and consist of feasibility, acceptability, expectancy/credibility, health-related quality of life, cognitive performance, serum biomarkers, and brain activity. This feasibility study will help identify barriers to recruitment and retention, determine the acceptability of a 8- week Tai Chi intervention for cancer survivors, and provide data for use in designing subsequent studies. Specifically, the findings will inform the design of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that is sufficiently powered to examine efficacy. The ultimate goal of this research is to create and test a method of investigation into the use of Tai Chi to prevent or mitigate CRCI as well as a method of improving health-related quality of life in cancer survivors.