The Effects of a Meditation Retreat on Healthy Volunteers and Cancer Patients: an fMRI Study

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy volunteers:

* Men or women
* Left-handed or right-handed, as long as there are left-handed individuals in both groups for comparison
* Ages between 18 and 65
* No history of neurological or psychiatric problems, or use of controlled medication that might interfere with attention
* No symptoms of claustrophobia
* Written informed consent form to participate in the study

Cancer patients:

* The same criteria that apply to healthy volunteers in addition to a diagnosis of neoplasia confirmed by biopsy
* Volunteers should be undergoing post-therapeutical control, have no cure criteria yet, and not have been submitted to radio- or chemotherapy in the last three months

Exclusion Criteria:

Healthy Volunteers:

* Chemical dependence, including nicotine and alcohol
* Dementia or psychotic condition (established by a questionnaire)
* Depression or use of antidepressants
* Non-controlled severe organic disease that might interfere with the performance of the study, such as neoplasias, cardiopathies, digestive pathologies, diabetes mellitus type I or type II
* Neoplasias in the central nervous system
* Tremor or dystonia in cephalic segment that hinders the performance of the RMf study (tremor equal to or higher than 3 in each corporal segment, according to the UPDRS scale)
* Fulfillment of any criterion of contraindication for the MR exam (for instance, use of pacemaker; intracranial aneurism clip; cochlear implants)
* Presence of odontological devices that might disturb the magnetic field or any sources of variation of the magnetic susceptibility
* Presence of lesion in the encephalic parenchyma in the structural images. Exception is made to discreet punctiform areas in the white matter or a discreet reduction in the encephalic volume.
* Any other conditions the investigator might deem problematic for the inclusion of the volunteer in a trial of this nature will also be considered

Cancer patients:

* All the healthy volunteers, except for those that fit in the item: "non-controlled severe organic disease that might interfere in the performance of the study, such"
* The use of medication that acts on the central nervous system