Brain TumorNCT01217996
Computerized Intervention for Amelioration of Cognitive Late Effects Among Childhood Cancer Survivors
A study testing Computerized working memory training program (intervention) in people with Brain Tumor and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, run by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) show elevated rates of working memory impairment. Working memory (WM) is the ability to hold and manipulate information online; for example, when an individual mentally rehearses a phone number in order to dial it without writing it down. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 8 to 16 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Brain Tumor, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
- What is being tested?
- Computerized working memory training program (intervention)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 128 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Oct 2010to Nov 2013
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 8 to 16 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Received CNS-directed treatment (intrathecal chemotherapy or cranial irradiation) for a BT or ALL
- Infratentorial tumor location (for the BT cohort)
- Off treatment for at least one year with no evidence of recurrent or progressive disease
- Age 8-16 years inclusive at the time of enrollment
- English as the primary language
- Research participant and one parent willing to participate and provide consent/assent according to institutional guidelines
Show all 14Show fewer
- Signed screening consents and has undergone screening
- Fully evaluable psychological testing results (including IQ > or = 70)
- Age-scaled score on Digit Span, Letter-Number Sequencing or Spatial Span < 7 OR at least one standard deviation below IQ score
- Training aide is available to participate in required sessions
- Participant and training aide demonstrate computer proficiency
- Participant has access to or will be provided a laptop or home computer with internet connection and speakers
- Participant willing to participate in required aspects of computerized intervention
- Participant is able to take part in fMRI without sedation
Who cannot join
- Significant impairment in global intellectual functioning (estimated or full scale IQ < 70 based on standardized testing routinely conducted on primary treatment protocols)
- History of CNS injury/disease predating or unrelated to cancer diagnosis
- Documented ADHD predating cancer diagnosis
- Treatment with psychostimulant or psychotropic medication within two weeks of study participation
- Major sensory or motor impairment that would preclude valid cognitive testing secondary to inability to complete study procedures (e.g., blindness, paresis, poorly controlled seizures/photosensitive epilepsy, psychosis)
- Major psychological condition that would preclude completion of protocol intervention (e.g., significant oppositionality, autism spectrum disorder, severe anxiety or depressive symptoms)
- Orthodontic appliances that cause MRI distortion or signal loss outside the mouth and sinus area
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee, 38105
About this study
Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) show elevated rates of working memory impairment. Working memory (WM) is the ability to hold and manipulate information online; for example, when an individual mentally rehearses a phone number in order to dial it without writing it down. A computer-based working memory intervention has been successful in children diagnosed with ADHD and stroke survivors. Individuals participating in the intervention showed improvements on working memory measures as well as more complex problem solving skills. Neuroimaging (brain scans) conducted before and after training showed changes in brain activation suggestive of underlying changes in brain systems that support working memory. This study investigates the effectiveness of this computer-based working memory intervention for childhood cancer survivors.
Read the detailed description
Participants randomized to the intervention arm will complete the computerized working memory training program. This computer-based training program is completed in the home and requires approximately 30 minutes every weekday for five weeks. The program software guides the child through eight rotating exercises each day, with increasing difficulty based on the child's level of performance. Exercises train both visuospatial and verbal WM using child-friendly activities. A research team member will serve as a coach who monitors weekly progress online and offers support through weekly phone calls with the study participants and their caregivers. This individual will not complete post-intervention assessments to maintain study blind. A home computer with internet connection and speakers is required. A laptop computer and/or wireless internet access will be provided to families whose only obstacle to participation is lack of computer access or internet connectivity in the home setting. Families randomized to the WM intervention will complete a tutorial with study staff that provides instruction in using a computer, the internet and the WM training software.
The objective of this study is to investigate the benefits of this working memory intervention in a sample of childhood cancer survivors and look at brain-based changes that may occur as the result of working memory intervention. To achieve this goal, we plan to study childhood cancer survivors randomly assigned to the working memory intervention or a passive waitlist. Both groups will participate in cognitive testing pre-, post-, and six months post intervention. Intervention participants will also partake in neuroimaging exams before and after the intervention. Findings from this study have direct potential to support a nonpharmaceutical cognitive intervention for cancer survivors that is a safe and effective alternative to stimulant medications with great promise for improving quality of life.
- Conditions
- Brain Tumor, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
- Being tested
- Computerized working memory training program (intervention), Computerized working memory training program (control)
- Keywords
- working memory intervention, memory impairment, cognitive late effects, Childhood Cancer Survivors
- Medical subject headings
- Brain Neoplasms, Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma, Memory Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Computerized working memory training program (intervention)Behavioural
A computer-based training program will be completed in the home. This program requires approximately 30 minutes every weekday for five weeks. The program software guides the child through eight rotating exercises each day, with increasing difficulty based on the child's level of performance. Exercises train both visuospatial and verbal WM using child-friendly activities. A research team member will serve as a coach who monitors weekly progress online and offers support through weekly phone calls with the study participants and their caregivers). Intervention participants will also partake in neuroimaging exams before and after the intervention
Computerized working memory training program (control)Behavioural
Participants randomized to the control group will not complete any intervention during the intervention time period and will not partake in neuroimaging exams. They will complete an immediate and six month post follow-up cognitive assessment. Following completion of these assessments, they will be provided the opportunity to complete the computer-based training program off study.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Other | Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will complete the computerized working memory training program (intervention). Receives: Behavioral: Computerized working memory training program (intervention) |
| Control Group | Other | Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will complete the computerized working memory training program (control). Receives: Behavioral: Computerized working memory training program (control) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
This study will measure working memory, attention and executive functions
Participants in the working memory intervention will demonstrate significantly greater improvement from pre- to immediate post-intervention on performance- and rater-based measures of working memory relative to childhood cancer survivors placed on an intervention waitlist.
Measured: Baseline, 10 weeks, and 6 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
The study will measure the maintenance of improvements on measures of working memory, attention and executive functions
The improvements will be evaluated at six months following participation in the computer-based intervention program.
Measured: 6 months.
This study will examine the neural correlates of working memory before and immediately after intervention
This objective will use fMRI to examine the neural correlates of working memory before and immediately after intervention.
Measured: Baseline and 10 weeks.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Oct 2010 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2010
- Primary completionFeb 2013
- Study completionNov 2013
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Brain TumorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by St. Jude Children's Research HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 128 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- American Cancer Society, Inc.
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Heather M Conklin, Ph.D, Principal investigator, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01217996
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- COGTRN
- Other IDs
- 120421-RSGPB-11-009-01-CPPB
- Status last verified
- Apr 2014
- First submitted
- 7 Oct 2010
- Last updated
- 29 Apr 2014
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Apr 2014. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Computerized Intervention for Amelioration of Cognitive Late Effects Among Childhood Cancer Survivors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01217996
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- COGTRN
- Conditions
- Brain Tumor, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
- Keywords
- working memory intervention, memory impairment, cognitive late effects, Childhood Cancer Survivors
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 128 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- American Cancer Society, Inc.
- Study start
- Oct 2010
- Primary completion
- Feb 2013 (actual)
- Study completion
- Nov 2013 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Oct 2010 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) show elevated rates of working memory impairment. Working memory (WM) is the ability to hold and manipulate information online; for example, when an individual mentally rehearses a phone number in order to dial it without writing it down. A computer-based working memory intervention has been successful in children diagnosed with ADHD and stroke survivors. Individuals participating in the intervention showed improvements on working memory measures as well as more complex problem solving skills. Neuroimaging (brain scans) conducted before and after training showed changes in brain activation suggestive of underlying changes in brain systems that support working memory. This study investigates the effectiveness of this computer-based working memory intervention for childhood cancer survivors.
Detailed description
Participants randomized to the intervention arm will complete the computerized working memory training program. This computer-based training program is completed in the home and requires approximately 30 minutes every weekday for five weeks. The program software guides the child through eight rotating exercises each day, with increasing difficulty based on the child's level of performance. Exercises train both visuospatial and verbal WM using child-friendly activities. A research team member will serve as a coach who monitors weekly progress online and offers support through weekly phone calls with the study participants and their caregivers. This individual will not complete post-intervention assessments to maintain study blind. A home computer with internet connection and speakers is required. A laptop computer and/or wireless internet access will be provided to families whose only obstacle to participation is lack of computer access or internet connectivity in the home setting. Families randomized to the WM intervention will complete a tutorial with study staff that provides instruction in using a computer, the internet and the WM training software.
The objective of this study is to investigate the benefits of this working memory intervention in a sample of childhood cancer survivors and look at brain-based changes that may occur as the result of working memory intervention. To achieve this goal, we plan to study childhood cancer survivors randomly assigned to the working memory intervention or a passive waitlist. Both groups will participate in cognitive testing pre-, post-, and six months post intervention. Intervention participants will also partake in neuroimaging exams before and after the intervention. Findings from this study have direct potential to support a nonpharmaceutical cognitive intervention for cancer survivors that is a safe and effective alternative to stimulant medications with great promise for improving quality of life.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Other | Behavioral: Computerized working memory training program (intervention)Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will complete the computerized working memory training program (intervention). |
| Control Group | Other | Behavioral: Computerized working memory training program (control)Children treated for a brain tumor (BT) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will complete the computerized working memory training program (control). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 8 to 16 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (14 listed)
- Received CNS-directed treatment (intrathecal chemotherapy or cranial irradiation) for a BT or ALL
- Infratentorial tumor location (for the BT cohort)
- Off treatment for at least one year with no evidence of recurrent or progressive disease
- Age 8-16 years inclusive at the time of enrollment
- English as the primary language
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Significant impairment in global intellectual functioning (estimated or full scale IQ < 70 based on standardized testing routinely conducted on primary treatment protocols)
- History of CNS injury/disease predating or unrelated to cancer diagnosis
- Documented ADHD predating cancer diagnosis
- Treatment with psychostimulant or psychotropic medication within two weeks of study participation
- Major sensory or motor impairment that would preclude valid cognitive testing secondary to inability to complete study procedures (e.g., blindness, paresis, poorly controlled seizures/photosensitive epilepsy, psychosis)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Computerized working memory training program (intervention)A computer-based training program will be completed in the home. This program requires approximately 30 minutes every weekday for five weeks. The program software guides the child through eight rotating exercises each day, with increasing difficulty based on the child's level of performance. Exercises train both visuospatial and verbal WM using child-friendly activities. A research team member will serve as a coach who monitors weekly progress online and offers support through weekly phone calls with the study participants and their caregivers). Intervention participants will also partake in neuroimaging exams before and after the intervention | Behavioural | Intervention Group |
| Computerized working memory training program (control)Participants randomized to the control group will not complete any intervention during the intervention time period and will not partake in neuroimaging exams. They will complete an immediate and six month post follow-up cognitive assessment. Following completion of these assessments, they will be provided the opportunity to complete the computer-based training program off study. | Behavioural | Control Group |
Primary outcome
This study will measure working memory, attention and executive functions
Time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks, and 6 months
Participants in the working memory intervention will demonstrate significantly greater improvement from pre- to immediate post-intervention on performance- and rater-based measures of working memory relative to childhood cancer survivors placed on an intervention waitlist.
2 secondary outcomes
The study will measure the maintenance of improvements on measures of working memory, attention and executive functions
Time frame: 6 months.
This study will examine the neural correlates of working memory before and immediately after intervention
Time frame: Baseline and 10 weeks.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Apr 2014.
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Heather M Conklin, Ph.D principal investigator
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Computerized working memory training program (intervention) in people with Brain Tumor and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, run by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 14 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Apr 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
This study will measure working memory, attention and executive functions (time frame: Baseline, 10 weeks, and 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Apr 2014.