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Brain TumoursNCT02677142

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Group Social Skills Intervention

A study testing Structured social skills training program, SSIP and CG - social skills activities in people with Brain Tumours, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 3 sites in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Tumours affecting the brain are a very heterogeneous group of diseases. Accordingly, treatment strategies vary widely depending on child's age, tumour location, its resectability and histology. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 8 to 16 years
Conditions the study is for
Brain Tumours
What is being tested?
Structured social skills training program, SSIP and CG - social skills activities
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
95 participants
Where
3 sitesCanada
Study dates
Apr 2012to Dec 2015
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

  • Diagnosed with a brain/spinal tumour
  • off treatment for at least 3 months or on maintenance chemotherapy but medically stable, e.g., low grade gliomas
  • between 8 and 16 years of age at the time of enrollment
  • have sufficient fluency in English for active group participation
  • attending school regularly and in a regular classroom for at least 50% of a school day

Who cannot join

  • Severe cognitive deficits, as defined by enrollment in full-time special classroom, which will prevent them from participating fully
  • a diagnosis of conduct disorder or any other condition that may interfere with group activities. Survivors and parents who have some difficulties reading (i.e., English is their second language) will be assisted by a research assistant (RA) in completing the questionnaires.

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

Canada3 sites
  • Alberta Childrens Hospital

    Calgary, Alberta

  • The Hospital for Sick Children

    Toronto, Ontario, M5V1X8

  • BC Women and Children's Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: A Randomized Control Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of a Group Social Skills Intervention for Childhood Survivors of Brain Tumours

Tumours affecting the brain are a very heterogeneous group of diseases. Accordingly, treatment strategies vary widely depending on child's age, tumour location, its resectability and histology. As a group, however, the survival rate of childhood brain tumors has improved in recent years, resulting in an increased number of survivors returning to school and reintegrating into their communities. Survival for many of them, however, has also come with severe costs such as neurocognitive and academic difficulties. Cognitive rehabilitation strategies to address these deficits have been a major focus of recent research. Evidence is now also mounting for social competence deficits among this population which may persist into late adolescence and adulthood, thereby negatively affecting long-term survivorship. Thus, there is an urgency to identify psychosocial interventions, such as social skills programs, that can reduce the social competence deficits in childhood brain tumor survivors and, therefore, modify the course of these outcomes to ensure that survivors thrive and become productive members of society. To date, no rigorous social skills intervention trials have been undertaken to address the social difficulties of these survivors. The current proposal is the first study that aims to address this gap by evaluating the efficacy of an innovative, manualized, social skills intervention program developed for this population using a multi-centre Randomized Control Trial (RCT).

Read the detailed description

Children and adolescents who are treated for brain tumours are faced with a variety of problems that affect the way they live their lives: one of the biggest problems is limited contact with friends and peers. This study aims to help kids and teens deal with this problem. The purpose of this study is to give kids who are treated for brain tumors opportunities to meet with other kids with similar experiences by participating in one of two social skills groups to improve how they related to one another. Investigators are assessing if these programs are beneficial to kids who have had brain tumours and which group is best. Kids will be assigned randomly to one of two groups. In both groups kids will meet with the other participants and with the facilitators for two hours once a week for 8 weeks. Kids in both groups will have introductions, group rules and group purpose (learn to relate with one another) through fun with games and arts and crafts. In one group, the games and crafts will be used for learning social skills. In the other group, arts and crafts and playing will be the focus of the activities, with the goal for each session determined by creating a craft or playing a game where everyone can win. One parent and all kids will complete questionnaires before the group starts, after the last group session as well as 6 months following the group. The questionnaires will ask questions about feeling, actions and getting along with others. Investigators also plan to visit the child's school so that the child, classmates and teachers will fill out questionnaires about friendships.

Conditions
Brain Tumours
Being tested
Structured social skills training program, SSIP, CG - social skills activities
Keywords
pediatric, Childhood Brain Tumour Survivors, Social Skills Rating System, social skills intervention program (SSIP)
Medical subject headings
Brain Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Structured social skills training program, SSIPBehavioural

    Detailed, session by session, in the manual written for this purpose. It addresses six major social skills, one per session, starting with easier skills (Social Initiation and Friendship Making, Cooperation) and moving towards more complex skills (Managing Teasing and Bullying, Conflict Resolution, Empathy, and Assertion).

  • CG - social skills activitiesBehavioural

    Sessions will not be designed around a specific social skill and activities and games will not have a specific focus. CG sessions will be conducted by facilitators who will receive the standard training for volunteers and will work under the supervision of one of the investigators at each site.

Study groups in NCT02677142
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Attention Control Group (CG)Active comparatorBehavioural: CG: Social Skills Activities: Participants in this arm will experience an 8-week manualized intervention program with activities and games. Sessions will NOT be designed around a specific social skill and activities and games will NOT have a specific focus. Sessions will be conducted by facilitators who will receive the standard training for volunteers and will work under the supervision of one of the investigators at each site.
Receives: Behavioral: CG - social skills activities
Experimental Group (EG)ExperimentalBehavioral: Structured social skills training program, SSIP. Participants in this arm will experience an 8-week manualized intervention program that addresses six major social skills, one per session, starting with easier skills (Social Initiation and Friendship Making, Cooperation) and moving towards more complex skills (Managing Teasing and Bullying, Conflict Resolution, Empathy, and Assertion). Sessions will be conducted by facilitators who will receive the standard training for volunteers and will work under the supervision of one of the investigators at each site.
Receives: Behavioral: Structured social skills training program, SSIP

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Parent-rated social skills - assessment of change across three time points

    Measured by Social Skills Rating System (SSRS)[37]. The SSRS is a standardized instrument that has parent, teacher and child versions.

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

  2. Child-rated social skills -- assessment of change across three time points

    Measured by Social Skills Rating System (SSRS)[37]. The SSRS is a standardized instrument that has parent, teacher and child versions.

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Quality of life ratings - general, parental assessment of change across three time points

    Quality of Life Inventory - PedsQL, generic[38] - Parent report

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

  2. Quality of life ratings - general, child assessment of change across three time points

    Quality of Life Inventory - PedsQL, generic[38] - Child self-report

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

  3. Quality of life ratings - brain tumour module, parent assessment of change across three time points

    Quality of Life Inventory - PedsQL, Brain Tumour Module[38] - parent report

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

  4. Quality of life ratings - brain tumour module, child assessment of change across three time points

    Quality of Life Inventory - PedsQL, Brain Tumour Module[38] - Child self-report

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

  5. Child's social functioning - assessment of change across three time points

    subscale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition, BASC-2, completed by parents

    Measured: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Feb 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2012
  3. Primary completionDec 2015
  4. Study completionDec 2015

Resources

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
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
95 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02677142
Sponsor's protocol ID
1000014297
Status last verified
May 2016
First submitted
14 Dec 2015
Last updated
9 May 2016
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Butler RW, Mulhern RK. Neurocognitive interventions for children and adolescents surviving cancer. J Pediatr Psychol. 2005 Jan-Feb;30(1):65-78. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi017.

    PubMed 15610986
  • Reddick WE, White HA, Glass JO, Wheeler GC, Thompson SJ, Gajjar A, Leigh L, Mulhern RK. Developmental model relating white matter volume to neurocognitive deficits in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Cancer. 2003 May 15;97(10):2512-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.11355.

    PubMed 12733151
  • Copeland DR, deMoor C, Moore BD 3rd, Ater JL. Neurocognitive development of children after a cerebellar tumor in infancy: A longitudinal study. J Clin Oncol. 1999 Nov;17(11):3476-86. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1999.17.11.3476.

    PubMed 10550145
  • Butler RW, Copeland DR. Attentional processes and their remediation in children treated for cancer: a literature review and the development of a therapeutic approach. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2002 Jan;8(1):115-24.

    PubMed 11843068
  • Radcliffe J, Bennett D, Kazak AE, Foley B, Phillips PC. Adjustment in childhood brain tumor survival: child, mother, and teacher report. J Pediatr Psychol. 1996 Aug;21(4):529-39. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/21.4.529.

    PubMed 8863462
  • Vannatta K, Gartstein MA, Short A, Noll RB. A controlled study of peer relationships of children surviving brain tumors: teacher, peer, and self ratings. J Pediatr Psychol. 1998 Oct;23(5):279-87. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/23.5.279.

    PubMed 9782676
  • Schulte F, Barrera M. Social competence in childhood brain tumor survivors: a comprehensive review. Support Care Cancer. 2010 Dec;18(12):1499-513. doi: 10.1007/s00520-010-0963-1. Epub 2010 Aug 1.

    PubMed 20680353
  • Barrera M, Shaw AK, Speechley KN, Maunsell E, Pogany L. Educational and social late effects of childhood cancer and related clinical, personal, and familial characteristics. Cancer. 2005 Oct 15;104(8):1751-60. doi: 10.1002/cncr.21390.

    PubMed 16130127
  • Zebrack BJ, Gurney JG, Oeffinger K, Whitton J, Packer RJ, Mertens A, Turk N, Castleberry R, Dreyer Z, Robison LL, Zeltzer LK. Psychological outcomes in long-term survivors of childhood brain cancer: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study. J Clin Oncol. 2004 Mar 15;22(6):999-1006. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.06.148.

    PubMed 15020603

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Structured social skills training program, SSIP and CG - social skills activities in people with Brain Tumours, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 3 sites 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 9 May 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites 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?

Parent-rated social skills - assessment of change across three time points (time frame: day 1, 8 weeks later, and 6 months after day 1). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02677142, which also lists 9 linked publications.

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 9 May 2016.

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