Cancer ChildhoodNCT05202925
Musical Training Programme to Improve Neurocognitive Functioning of Children Surviving Brain Tumours
A study testing Musical Training Program in people with Cancer Childhood and Brain Tumor, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
We aim to conduct a feasibility study to determine the feasibility and suitability of implementing a musical training program for children surviving brain tumours. This study will demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of surviving brain… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 16 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer Childhood, Brain Tumor
- What is being tested?
- Musical Training Program
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2021to 15 Feb 2024
- 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 7 to 16 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- children who have completed cancer treatment at least 2 months previously;
- aged between 7 and 16 years,
- able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese, and
- those who have not undertaken any musical training following their cancer diagnosis.
Who cannot join
- 1. those survivors with evidence of cancer recurrence or second malignancy in their medical records
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Feasibility Study of a Musical Training Program in Improving the Neurocognitive Functioning of Children Surviving Brain Tumours
We aim to conduct a feasibility study to determine the feasibility and suitability of implementing a musical training program for children surviving brain tumours. This study will demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of surviving brain tumours.
Read the detailed description
Brain tumour is the second most common childhood cancer in Hong Kong. Evidence shows that cancer and its treatments have long-term and lasting adverse effects on the neurocognitive functioning of paediatric brain tumour survivors, including the impairment of intellectual development and deficits in attention, working memory, processing speed and executive functions. There has been an increase in the use of musical training to promote the neuro-rehabilitation of patients suffering from stroke and Parkinson's disease, and to improve reading skills and academic achievement in young poor readers, and to enhance children's cognitive development. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) from 2017 to 2018 to examine the effectiveness of musical training on psychological outcomes and quality of life in Chinese paediatric brain tumour survivors. The results showed that participants who received a weekly 45-min lesson on musical training for 52 weeks (intervention group) reported statistically significant fewer depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-esteem, and better quality of life than those who received placebo intervention (control group) at 12-month demonstrating the effectiveness of musical training intervention. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether musical training can also be used to improve neurocognitive functioning, in particular the attention, processing speed, and executive functions of children surviving brain tumours.
The overall aim of this proposed study will be to assess the feasibility of a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of children surviving brain tumours. The objectives of this feasibility study are as follows:
- To ascertain the feasibility of recruitment and data collection in the outpatient clinic of the Hong Kong Children's Hospital;
- To assess the response and retention rates of the study;
- To examine the content of the proposed musical training program for its appropriateness, comprehensiveness and duration to the target participants;
- To evaluate the appropriateness and feasibility of using various assessment tools in measuring the intelligence, attention, processing speed and executive functions of the paediatric brain tumour survivors; and
- To assess any changes in neurocognitive functioning of children surviving brain tumours after receiving musical training for 52 weeks.
- Conditions
- Cancer Childhood, Brain Tumor
- Being tested
- Musical Training Program
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms, Brain Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Musical Training ProgramOther
a weekly 45-minute lesson, one-to-one musical training
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Training | Experimental | All subjects in the intervention group will receive a weekly 45-minute lesson, one-to-one musical training for 52 weeks. Receives: Other: Musical Training Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Recruitment rate of the study
the proportion of subjects who are eligible and invited and consent to participate.
Measured: at baseline before the start of the intervention
Response rate of the study
The proportion of subjects who complete the questionnaires and assessments at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Measured: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Retention rate of the study
The proportion of subjects who complete the whole intervention from baseline to 12 months.
Measured: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Secondary outcomes (4)
Nonverbal intelligence scores of the subject
Measured by the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, 4th edition (TONI-4)
Measured: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Attention scores of the subject
Measured by the Digit Span
Measured: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Processing speed scores of the subject
Measured by the Children's Color Trails Test (CCTT)
Measured: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Executive functions scores of the subject
Measured by the Children's Color Trails Test (CCTT)
Measured: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jan 2022
- Study start1 Oct 2021
- Primary completion1 Jan 2023
- Study completion15 Feb 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Cancer ChildhoodStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Health and Medical Research Fund
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr Joyce Chung, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Investigators
- Joyce Chung, Principal investigator, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05202925
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HKCH-REC-2021-008
- Status last verified
- Jul 2024
- First submitted
- 10 Jan 2022
- Last updated
- 30 Jul 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Chung JOK, Li WHC, Leung YD, Cheung TCK, Chiu SY, Pong MSY, Chan GCF. The feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a musical training program in promoting neuroplasticity among survivors of pediatric brain tumors: A cohort study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Jun;76:102851. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102851. Epub 2025 Feb 28.
PubMed 40043524
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Jul 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Feasibility Study of a Musical Training Program in Improving the Neurocognitive Functioning of Children Surviving Brain Tumours
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05202925
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HKCH-REC-2021-008
- Conditions
- Cancer Childhood, Brain Tumor
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Health and Medical Research Fund
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Feb 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Jan 2022 (actual)
- 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.
We aim to conduct a feasibility study to determine the feasibility and suitability of implementing a musical training program for children surviving brain tumours. This study will demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of surviving brain tumours.
Detailed description
Brain tumour is the second most common childhood cancer in Hong Kong. Evidence shows that cancer and its treatments have long-term and lasting adverse effects on the neurocognitive functioning of paediatric brain tumour survivors, including the impairment of intellectual development and deficits in attention, working memory, processing speed and executive functions. There has been an increase in the use of musical training to promote the neuro-rehabilitation of patients suffering from stroke and Parkinson's disease, and to improve reading skills and academic achievement in young poor readers, and to enhance children's cognitive development. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) from 2017 to 2018 to examine the effectiveness of musical training on psychological outcomes and quality of life in Chinese paediatric brain tumour survivors. The results showed that participants who received a weekly 45-min lesson on musical training for 52 weeks (intervention group) reported statistically significant fewer depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-esteem, and better quality of life than those who received placebo intervention (control group) at 12-month demonstrating the effectiveness of musical training intervention. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether musical training can also be used to improve neurocognitive functioning, in particular the attention, processing speed, and executive functions of children surviving brain tumours.
The overall aim of this proposed study will be to assess the feasibility of a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of children surviving brain tumours. The objectives of this feasibility study are as follows:
- To ascertain the feasibility of recruitment and data collection in the outpatient clinic of the Hong Kong Children's Hospital;
- To assess the response and retention rates of the study;
- To examine the content of the proposed musical training program for its appropriateness, comprehensiveness and duration to the target participants;
- To evaluate the appropriateness and feasibility of using various assessment tools in measuring the intelligence, attention, processing speed and executive functions of the paediatric brain tumour survivors; and
- To assess any changes in neurocognitive functioning of children surviving brain tumours after receiving musical training for 52 weeks.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Training | Experimental | Other: Musical Training ProgramAll subjects in the intervention group will receive a weekly 45-minute lesson, one-to-one musical training for 52 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 16 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- children who have completed cancer treatment at least 2 months previously;
- aged between 7 and 16 years,
- able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese, and
- those who have not undertaken any musical training following their cancer diagnosis.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 1. those survivors with evidence of cancer recurrence or second malignancy in their medical records
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Training Programa weekly 45-minute lesson, one-to-one musical training | Other | Musical Training |
Primary outcome
Recruitment rate of the study
Time frame: at baseline before the start of the intervention
the proportion of subjects who are eligible and invited and consent to participate.
Response rate of the study
Time frame: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
The proportion of subjects who complete the questionnaires and assessments at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Retention rate of the study
Time frame: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
The proportion of subjects who complete the whole intervention from baseline to 12 months.
4 secondary outcomes
Nonverbal intelligence scores of the subject
Time frame: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Attention scores of the subject
Time frame: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Processing speed scores of the subject
Time frame: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Executive functions scores of the subject
Time frame: at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
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 30 Jul 2024.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40043524Chung JOK, Li WHC, Leung YD, Cheung TCK, Chiu SY, Pong MSY, Chan GCF. The feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a musical training program in promoting neuroplasticity among survivors of pediatric brain tumors: A cohort study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Jun;76:102851. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102851. Epub 2025 Feb 28.
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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.
Joyce Chung principal investigator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Musical Training Program in people with Cancer Childhood and Brain Tumor, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
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 4 inclusion and 1 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 30 Jul 2024. 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 Hong Kong. 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?
Recruitment rate of the study (time frame: at baseline before the start of the intervention). The study lists 3 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 NCT05202925, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 30 Jul 2024.