KEYS to Succeed: Cognitive and Academic Intervention Program for Children and Adolescents Surviving Cancer

NCT ID: NCT02573441

Last Updated: 2025-07-16

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

28 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-10-31

Study Completion Date

2018-05-31

Brief Summary

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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

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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

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Childhood Brain Tumor

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Math + Liaison Service

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.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Jump Math

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Jump Math is a workbook based program aimed at improving math skills

Liaison Services

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

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

Working Memory + Liaison Service

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.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Cogmed

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Cogmed is an online computer program aimed at improving working memory skills

Liaison Services

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

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

Liaison Services

Participants in this group will only receive the liaison service program for 12 weeks before being assigned to one of the intervention groups.

Group Type OTHER

Liaison Services

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

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

Interventions

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Jump Math

Jump Math is a workbook based program aimed at improving math skills

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Cogmed

Cogmed is an online computer program aimed at improving working memory skills

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Liaison Services

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

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* 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

Exclusion Criteria

* Is younger than 6 years or older than 17 years of age
* Is receiving palliative care
Minimum Eligible Age

6 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

17 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

The Hospital for Sick Children

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Donald Mabbott

Program Head, Neurosciences & Mental Health

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Donald Mabbott, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Hospital for Sick Children

Locations

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Hospital for Sick Children

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

Other Identifiers

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1000043747

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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