Childhood Brain TumorNCT02573441
KEYS to Succeed: Cognitive and Academic Intervention Program for Children and Adolescents Surviving Cancer
A study testing Jump Math, Cogmed and Liaison Services in people with Childhood Brain Tumor, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
The study will examine whether school liaison services and home-based parental tutoring can help with academic difficulties of paediatric brain tumour survivors who received cranial spinal radiation and have returned to school. Forty-five patients will participate in the project. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 6 to 17 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Childhood Brain Tumor
- What is being tested?
- Jump Math, Cogmed and Liaison Services
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 28 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- Oct 2015to May 2018
- 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 6 to 17 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and treated with cranial radiation
- Is between 1 and 10 years following diagnosis
- Has English as his or her native language or has had at least two years of schooling in English
- Is between the ages of 6 and 17
- Less than a Grade 8 equivalent math score
Who cannot join
- Is younger than 6 years or older than 17 years of age
- Is receiving palliative care
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The study will examine whether school liaison services and home-based parental tutoring can help with academic difficulties of paediatric brain tumour survivors who received cranial spinal radiation and have returned to school. Forty-five patients will participate in the project. All patients will receive psychology liaison services to link resources at the hospital with those in the community. Patients will participate in one of two tutoring programs designed to directly or indirectly improve math skills over 12 weeks. Weekly phone calls will be used to support parents using the program. Patients will be tested before, immediately after, and six months following each tutoring program to assess growth in mathematics and working memory abilities.
Read the detailed description
Paediatric brain tumour survivors who receive cranial spinal radiation have learning problems, particularly in mathematics and working memory. Working memory is often described as a "mental workspace" where relevant information is held in mind and processed. Working memory is important in mathematics for holding in mind relevant information and carrying out steps necessary to solve problems.
This study will examine whether school liaison support and home-based parental tutoring can help address the academic difficulties of paediatric brain tumour survivors who have received cranial spinal radiation and who have returned to their community school. Forty five patients will participate in the project. First, all patients will receive psychology liaison services to link resources at the hospital with those in the community in order to provide information regarding the effects of pediatric cancer on learning and facilitate the implementation of appropriate assistive technology and remediation programs. Patients will then participant in one of two tutoring programs over the course of a 12 week period. One group of patients will participate in a program that addresses working memory with the intent of indirectly helping with mathematics skills. This program will be delivered over the internet. Another group of patients will participate in a program using a work book to directly help improve mathematics skills. Weekly phone calls will be used to support parents in doing the program. Patients will be tested before, immediately after, and six months following each tutoring program to assess growth in mathematics and working memory abilities. The two intervention programs will be compared to a waitlist control group that receives only the liaison service (including academic support through weekly phone calls over the 12 weeks).
The findings from this study will provide evidence about the type of intervention that is most effective at helping paediatric brain tumour survivors improve their mathematics skills and working memory ability.
- Conditions
- Childhood Brain Tumor
- Being tested
- Jump Math, Cogmed, Liaison Services
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Jump MathBehavioural
Jump Math is a workbook based program aimed at improving math skills
CogmedBehavioural
Cogmed is an online computer program aimed at improving working memory skills
Liaison ServicesBehavioural
Liaison Services will include working closely with schools to help explain the strengths and weaknesses of a child based on cognitive testing and to help with the implementation of recommendations
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Math + Liaison Service | Experimental | To help with mathematics, participants will be assigned to a workbook based version of the JUMP Math program which will be completed at home with a parent. This intervention focuses on mental math skills. In addition all participants will receive the liaison service program. Receives: Behavioral: Jump Math; Behavioral: Liaison Services |
| Working Memory + Liaison Service | Experimental | To help with working memory, participants will be assigned to Cogmed, a game-like computer exercise focusing on improving working memory. In addition all participants will receive the liaison service program. Receives: Behavioral: Cogmed; Behavioral: Liaison Services |
| Liaison Services | Other | Participants in this group will only receive the liaison service program for 12 weeks before being assigned to one of the intervention groups. Receives: Behavioral: Liaison Services |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Woodcock Johnson Academic-Third Edition
A measure of math Fluency, applied math problems, and qualitative concepts
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition Integrated
A measure of verbal and visual working memory
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition
A measure of verbal and visual working memory
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Automated Working Memory Assessment
A measure of verbal and visual working memory
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Connors' Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition
A measure of sustained attention
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Parent Version
A measure of executive functioning
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Monitoring Basic Skills Progress
A measure of mathematics
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Secondary outcomes (6)
SAM
A measure of participants attitude towards math
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition
A measure of visual learning and memory
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
California Verbal Learning Test, Children's Version
A measure of verbal learning and memory
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
CANTAB
Measures of processing speed
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition
A measure of vocabulary and abstract visual reasoning
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System
Measures of processing speed and switching attention
Measured: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Oct 2015 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2015
- Primary completionMay 2018
- Study completionMay 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Childhood Brain TumorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 28 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hospital for Sick Children
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Donald Mabbott, The Hospital for Sick Children
- Investigators
- Donald Mabbott, Ph.D., Principal investigator, The Hospital for Sick Children
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02573441
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1000043747
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 7 Oct 2015
- Last updated
- 24 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- KEYS to Succeed: Cognitive and Academic Intervention Program for Children and Adolescents Surviving Cancer
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02573441
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1000043747
- Conditions
- Childhood Brain Tumor
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 28 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario
- Study start
- Oct 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- May 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- May 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Oct 2015 (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.
The study will examine whether school liaison services and home-based parental tutoring can help with academic difficulties of paediatric brain tumour survivors who received cranial spinal radiation and have returned to school. Forty-five patients will participate in the project. All patients will receive psychology liaison services to link resources at the hospital with those in the community. Patients will participate in one of two tutoring programs designed to directly or indirectly improve math skills over 12 weeks. Weekly phone calls will be used to support parents using the program. Patients will be tested before, immediately after, and six months following each tutoring program to assess growth in mathematics and working memory abilities.
Detailed description
Paediatric brain tumour survivors who receive cranial spinal radiation have learning problems, particularly in mathematics and working memory. Working memory is often described as a "mental workspace" where relevant information is held in mind and processed. Working memory is important in mathematics for holding in mind relevant information and carrying out steps necessary to solve problems.
This study will examine whether school liaison support and home-based parental tutoring can help address the academic difficulties of paediatric brain tumour survivors who have received cranial spinal radiation and who have returned to their community school. Forty five patients will participate in the project. First, all patients will receive psychology liaison services to link resources at the hospital with those in the community in order to provide information regarding the effects of pediatric cancer on learning and facilitate the implementation of appropriate assistive technology and remediation programs. Patients will then participant in one of two tutoring programs over the course of a 12 week period. One group of patients will participate in a program that addresses working memory with the intent of indirectly helping with mathematics skills. This program will be delivered over the internet. Another group of patients will participate in a program using a work book to directly help improve mathematics skills. Weekly phone calls will be used to support parents in doing the program. Patients will be tested before, immediately after, and six months following each tutoring program to assess growth in mathematics and working memory abilities. The two intervention programs will be compared to a waitlist control group that receives only the liaison service (including academic support through weekly phone calls over the 12 weeks).
The findings from this study will provide evidence about the type of intervention that is most effective at helping paediatric brain tumour survivors improve their mathematics skills and working memory ability.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Math + Liaison Service | Experimental | Behavioral: Jump Math, Behavioral: Liaison ServicesTo help with mathematics, participants will be assigned to a workbook based version of the JUMP Math program which will be completed at home with a parent. This intervention focuses on mental math skills. In addition all participants will receive the liaison service program. |
| Working Memory + Liaison Service | Experimental | Behavioral: Cogmed, Behavioral: Liaison ServicesTo help with working memory, participants will be assigned to Cogmed, a game-like computer exercise focusing on improving working memory. In addition all participants will receive the liaison service program. |
| Liaison Services | Other | Behavioral: Liaison ServicesParticipants in this group will only receive the liaison service program for 12 weeks before being assigned to one of the intervention groups. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 6 to 17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and treated with cranial radiation
- Is between 1 and 10 years following diagnosis
- Has English as his or her native language or has had at least two years of schooling in English
- Is between the ages of 6 and 17
- Less than a Grade 8 equivalent math score
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Is younger than 6 years or older than 17 years of age
- Is receiving palliative care
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jump MathJump Math is a workbook based program aimed at improving math skills | Behavioural | Math + Liaison Service |
| CogmedCogmed is an online computer program aimed at improving working memory skills | Behavioural | Working Memory + Liaison Service |
| Liaison ServicesLiaison Services will include working closely with schools to help explain the strengths and weaknesses of a child based on cognitive testing and to help with the implementation of recommendations | Behavioural | Liaison Services, Math + Liaison Service, Working Memory + Liaison Service |
Primary outcome
Woodcock Johnson Academic-Third Edition
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of math Fluency, applied math problems, and qualitative concepts
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition Integrated
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of verbal and visual working memory
Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of verbal and visual working memory
Automated Working Memory Assessment
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of verbal and visual working memory
Connors' Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of sustained attention
Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Parent Version
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of executive functioning
Monitoring Basic Skills Progress
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
A measure of mathematics
6 secondary outcomes
SAM
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
California Verbal Learning Test, Children's Version
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
CANTAB
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System
Time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up
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 24 Sep 2026.
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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.
Donald Mabbott, Ph.D. principal investigator
The Hospital for Sick Children
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Jump Math, Cogmed and Liaison Services in people with Childhood Brain Tumor, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 1 site in Canada.
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 5 inclusion and 2 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 24 Sep 2026. 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 Canada. 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?
Woodcock Johnson Academic-Third Edition (time frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. 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 24 Sep 2026.