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Pilot Study of a MIND Diet Intervention in Women Undergoing Active Treatment for Breast Cancer

Protecting the Brain From Toxic Side Effects of Chemotherapy: a Pilot Study of a MIND Diet Intervention in Women Undergoing Active Treatment for Breast Cancer

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05984888
Acronym
MIND-BC
Enrollment
43
Registered
2023-08-09
Start date
2023-10-26
Completion date
2027-12-31
Last updated
2025-10-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Brief summary

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. Systemic cancer treatments are an important contributor to dramatic improvements in the long-term survival of women with BC. However, cancer treatment can lead to cognitive impairment and declines in quality of life in women with BC. Many cancer survivors experience memory and brain function decline following chemotherapy which can last for years. A newer diet pattern, Mediterranean-DASH \[Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension\] Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), was shown to help with protecting brain functions. The MIND diet is high in anti-inflammatory nutrients (e.g., omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), carotenoids, B-vitamins, and polyphenols) and limits the intake of brain-unhealthy foods (i.e., butter/margarine, cheese, red meat, fried foods, pastries, and sweets), which may help alleviate negative cognitive outcomes from cancer treatments. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effect of the MIND diet on cognitive functions in women with invasive BC starting systemic therapies.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALMIND Diet Intervention Group

Participants will receive individually tailored nutrition counseling on adopting the MIND diet pattern from a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) for a total of 8 sessions spanning 12 weeks. After completing the counseling sessions participants will be followed up 6 months later to collect additional questionnaires and assessments.

BEHAVIORALGeneral Health Curriculum (GHC) Group

Participants will meet with trained study staff for 8 sessions spanning 12 weeks covering content on non-diet related health topics. After these sessions, participants will be followed up 6 months later to collect additional questionnaires and assessments. Once 6-month follow-up has been completed, participants will be offered to receive the MIND diet intervention offered in the MIND Diet Intervention Group.

Sponsors

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
45 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Stage II-IV hormone receptor+, breast cancer diagnosis * Post-menopausal (defined as at least 1-year post menses, on ovarian suppression medication, or s/p oophorectomy) * Within 4 weeks before or 12 weeks after starting initial systemic therapies (e.g. chemotherapy, targeted therapies such as CDK4/6 inhibitors, endocrine therapy) * Ability to access and use internet resources, including video calls using Zoom platform * English speaking

Exclusion criteria

* History of dementia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain metastasis or other conditions that could lead to cognitive impairment * MIND diet score \>8 * Unwilling/unable to eat \>2 types of MIND food * Receiving insulin therapy for diabetes * Diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer * Unable to give informed consent.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Remote Assessment of Cognition using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT)One dayAssess cognition remotely through a Zoom session by using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), a brief cognitive test of episodic memory and verbal learning. The HVLT is broken down into three trials of free-recall from a 12-item list of words, followed by a period of time then a fourth recall trial. Finally, the test ends with a recognition task. For all trials, the maximum score is 12 with higher scores indicating better cognition.
Remote assessment of cognition using the WAIS-IV Digit SpanOne dayAssess cognition remotely through a Zoom session by using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)-IV Digit Span, a cognitive test of attention and working memory. The WAIS-IV Digit Span is comprised of three individual tests: Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward, and Digit Span Sequence. A total potential score of 48 with higher scores indicating better cognition.
Remote assessment of cognition using the Oral Trail Making TestOne dayAssess cognition remotely through a Zoom session by using the Oral Trail Making Test (TMT), a brief cognitive test of executive function and attention. The OTMT is divided into part A and part B. The part A asks participants to count from 1-25, while part B asks participants to alternate between letters and numbers. The less amount of time required to complete the task equates to better cognition.
Remote assessment of cognition using the COWA TestOne dayAssess cognition remotely through a Zoom session by using the Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) Test, a brief cognitive test of oral fluency and executive function. The COWAT has two components, the first asks the participants to say as many words as possible that begin with a given letter (F, A, or S) within the one-minute time frame. The second trial asks the same task but instead of letters, the participant is asked to produce as many animals as possible within the provided time frame. More words produced are indicative of better cognitive function.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Assessment of presence of CRCI symptoms (FACT-Cog)One dayAssess presence of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) symptoms using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Cognition (FACT-Cog), a self-report measurement of cognitive function. Higher scores indicate better cognition with a range from 0 - 80.
Assessment of Diet Quality MeasuresOne dayAssess diet quality measures from an electronic food frequency questionnaire.
Assessment of presence of CRCI symptoms (Neuro-Qol)One dayAssess the presence of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) symptoms using the Neuro-QoL Cognitive Function Test, a self-report measurement of cognitive function. Higher scores indicate better cognitive functioning with a range from 8 - 40 for the raw score and a T-score range from 17.3 - 64.2.

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
OSUCCCClinicaltrials@osumc.edu800-293-5066
Backup ContactKellie R Weinhold, MS
weinhold.8@osu.edu

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026