title: YOCAS©® Yoga Reduces Self-reported Memory Difficulty in Cancer Survivors in a Nationwide Randomized Clinical Trial: Investigating Relationships Between Memory and Sleep.
abstract: Background Interventions are needed to alleviate memory difficulty in cancer survivors. We previously showed in a phase III randomized clinical trial that YOCAS©® yoga-a program that consists of breathing exercises, postures, and meditation-significantly improved sleep quality in cancer survivors. This study assessed the effects of YOCAS©® on memory and identified relationships between memory and sleep.
  
  
  
  Survivors were randomized to standard care (SC) or SC with YOCAS©® . 328 participants who provided data on the memory difficulty item of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory are included. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. General linear modeling (GLM) determined the group effect of YOCAS©® on memory difficulty compared with SC. GLM also determined moderation of baseline memory difficulty on postintervention sleep and vice versa. Path modeling assessed the mediating effects of changes in memory difficulty on YOCAS©® changes in sleep and vice versa.
  
  
  
  YOCAS©® significantly reduced memory difficulty at postintervention compared with SC (mean change: yoga=-0.60; SC=-0.16; P<.05). Baseline memory difficulty did not moderate the effects of postintervention sleep quality in YOCAS©® compared with SC. Baseline sleep quality did moderate the effects of postintervention memory difficulty in YOCAS©® compared with SC (P<.05). Changes in sleep quality was a significant mediator of reduced memory difficulty in YOCAS©® compared with SC (P<.05); however, changes in memory difficulty did not significantly mediate improved sleep quality in YOCAS©® compared with SC.
  
  
  
  In this large nationwide trial, YOCAS©® yoga significantly reduced patient-reported memory difficulty in cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester, NY, USA Michelle_janelsins@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Janelsins
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Luke J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Peppone
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Heckler
authors.affiliation: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Shelli R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kesler
authors.affiliation: University of Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sprod
authors.affiliation: Southeast Clinical Oncology Research Consortium NCORP, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Consortium of West Michigan NCORP, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melnik
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamen
authors.affiliation: Greenville Health System NCORP, Greenville, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giguere
authors.affiliation: Southeast Clinical Oncology Research Consortium NCORP, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Messino
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Supriya G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Mohile
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mustian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000523:psychology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D015013:Yoga / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: cancer survivor; cancer-related cognitive impairment; memory difficulty; quality of life; yoga; “chemobrain”