Effectiveness of Musical Training in Children Surviving Brain Tumours

NCT ID: NCT02754908

Last Updated: 2019-02-28

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2016-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2018-06-30

Brief Summary

This study aims to examine the effects of musical training on improving the neurocognitive function and psychological well-being of children surviving brain tumours. Half of the participants will receive weekly 45-minute lessons on musical training for one year (52 weeks) while the other half are the placebo controls.

Detailed Description

Children surviving brain tumours have the highest risk of suffering neurocognitive late effects, such as impairment of intellectual development and deficits in attention and concentration, working memory, processing speed and executive function. Such effects severely affect their levels of academic achievement, psychosocial function and quality of life. Musical training is considered to have potential for treating neurocognitive impairment,mostly because the extensive brain networks engaged in musical training can induce substantial neuroplasticity changes in cortical and subcortical regions of motor, auditory and speech processing networks. A review of musical training for neuro-rehabilitation revealed that it can enhance motor recovery and neuroplasticity after stroke and improve motor deficits observed in Parkinson's disease. A growing body of evidence points to the beneficial effects of musical training on the cognitive development of children. The results of a longitudinal study on the effects of musical training on children's brain and cognitive development demonstrated that such training results in long-term enhancement of visualspatial, verbal and mathematical performance. Moreover, engaging in musical practice in childhood predicts academic performance and IQ at the university level. Thus, there appears to be some support for the effects of music lessons on intellectual development.

Nevertheless, although musical training is popular and is considered to be a beneficial intervention in the treatment of neurocognitive impairment, longitudinal studies that examine the efficacy of music-making in clinical settings are limited. Importantly, there is to date no study that examines the effects of musical training on induction of neuroplasticity in childhood cancer survivors with neurocognitive impairment. There is an imperative need for rigorous empirical scrutiny of the ability of musical training, in particular, to achieve neuroplasticity and thus promote the cognitive function and psychological well-being of children surviving brain tumours.

Conditions

Brain Neoplasms; Child

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Experimental group

In addition to medical follow-up, the subjects in the experimental group will receive weekly 45-minute lessons on musical training for one year (52 weeks), conducted by the Music Children Foundation. Qualified orchestral performers will provide the musical training. Training will start at the lowest level (hitting simple notes) and end at the highest level (able to play an entire song). The subjects will continue on to the next level if they successfully pass the relevant test; those who do not will be encouraged to repeat test.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

musical training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The subjects in the experimental group will receive weekly 45-minute lessons on musical training for one year (52 weeks), conducted by the Music Children Foundation.

Placebo Control group

The subjects will receive medical follow-up according to the schedule of the oncology units.

They will receive the same amount of time and attention as those in the experimental group but not in a way designed to have any specific effect on the outcome measures. They will be invited to attend free, weekly 45-minute tutoring classes organised by the community for one year (52 weeks).

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

tutoring classes

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

They will be invited to attend free, weekly 45-minute tutoring classes organised by the community for one year (52 weeks).

Interventions

musical training

The subjects in the experimental group will receive weekly 45-minute lessons on musical training for one year (52 weeks), conducted by the Music Children Foundation.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

tutoring classes

They will be invited to attend free, weekly 45-minute tutoring classes organised by the community for one year (52 weeks).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• surviving germ cell tumours of the brain
• be aged from 7 to 19 years
• be able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese
• have residual function of the upper extremities (i.e. be able to move the extremities, such as the fingers and arms, without assistance)
• have completed treatment for at least two months

Exclusion Criteria

• have undertaken or are undertaking (at the time of the intervention) the study of a musical instrument following their cancer diagnosis
• with evidence of cancer recurrence or second malignancy in their medical records

• Minimum Eligible Age: 7 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Ho Cheung William Li

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Hong Kong

Locations

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, , China

Countries

China

Other Identifiers

UW16-023

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id