Treating Verbal Memory Deficits Following Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

NCT ID: NCT03017560

Last Updated: 2023-11-07

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

45 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-12-31

Study Completion Date

2017-05-31

Brief Summary

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The primary purpose of this study is to test the effects of a targeted, computerized cognitive training program on verbal memory in older women who have undergone chemotherapy treatment for early-stage breast cancer. As measured by neuropsychological assessment, this treatment will result in improved verbal memory. Secondarily, processing speed and naming abilities are expected to improve. Enhanced self-perception of cognitive ability is also expected.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Breast Cancer Treatment Cognitive Deficits

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Computerized cognitive treatment

Chosen exercises from the rehabilitation package of a commercially available, computerized, cognitive training program called Happy Neuron Pro will be used. This program was designed by a team of neurologists, neuropsychologists and cognitive psychologists, and has been successfully adapted for varying conditions of cognitive dysfunction.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Computerized cognitive treatment

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will engage in auditory and verbal memory exercises intended to improve verbal memory functioning. The exercises are: Elephant Memory, Words where are you?, Split words, Bird Songs, Sound check, and You've got voicemail. Participants will complete the exercises 1 hour per day, 6 days per week, for 6 weeks. The program automatically adjusts difficulty level according to individual performance. The program captures and reports all relevant data to the primary investigator, including accuracy and reaction time (speed), which will be used to measure progress.

Wait list control

Participants assigned to the wait list control arm will receive no treatment while the experimental arm is participating in the computerized treatment. However, the computerized treatment program will be made available for these participants to utilize at the end of the study period.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Computerized cognitive treatment

Participants will engage in auditory and verbal memory exercises intended to improve verbal memory functioning. The exercises are: Elephant Memory, Words where are you?, Split words, Bird Songs, Sound check, and You've got voicemail. Participants will complete the exercises 1 hour per day, 6 days per week, for 6 weeks. The program automatically adjusts difficulty level according to individual performance. The program captures and reports all relevant data to the primary investigator, including accuracy and reaction time (speed), which will be used to measure progress.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Women ages 65-90
* Chemotherapy treatment for early-stage (I, IIa, IIb, IIIa) breast cancer
* Post-menopausal
* High school education or greater
* Geographically available for followup assessment
* Native English speaker
* Normal or corrected to near-normal hearing and vision

Exclusion Criteria

* Psychiatric history including past or current psychotic spectrum disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, dementia, schizoaffective disorder)
* Brain injury (e.g., stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, tumor, concussion, head trauma)
* Brain disease
* History of brain irradiation or surgery
* Current or past disease/disorder of the central nervous system or medical condition affecting cognitive functioning (e.g., chronic migraine, epilepsy or history of seizures, encephalitis, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid condition, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease)
* Active diagnosis of autoimmune or inflammatory disorder (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, insulin-dependent diabetes, Crohn's disease, uncontrolled allergic reaction or asthma)
* History of other cancer, except for basal cell carcinoma
* Development of a second primary malignancy during the study
* Drug or alcohol abuse (i.e., more than 7 drinks per week)
* Chronic use of oral steroid medication
* Former (prior to early-stage breast cancer) intrathecal therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or any neoadjuvant chemotherapy
* Acquired or developmental speech, language, or learning disorders (e.g., aphasia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, autism, developmental delay)
* Hormone replacement therapy, excluding vaginal estrogen
Minimum Eligible Age

65 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

90 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Northwestern University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Diane F Morean, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Northwestern University

References

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American Cancer Society (2014). Cancer prevalence: How many people have cancer? Retrieved March 24, 2015 from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/cancer-prevalence.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

McKoy JM, Samaras AT, Bennett CL. Providing cancer care to a graying and diverse cancer population in the 21st century: are we prepared? J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 10;27(17):2745-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.22.4352. Epub 2009 Apr 29. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19403884 (View on PubMed)

Smith BD, Smith GL, Hurria A, Hortobagyi GN, Buchholz TA. Future of cancer incidence in the United States: burdens upon an aging, changing nation. J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 10;27(17):2758-65. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.20.8983. Epub 2009 Apr 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19403886 (View on PubMed)

Von Ah D, Carpenter JS, Saykin A, Monahan P, Wu J, Yu M, Rebok G, Ball K, Schneider B, Weaver M, Tallman E, Unverzagt F. Advanced cognitive training for breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 Oct;135(3):799-809. doi: 10.1007/s10549-012-2210-6. Epub 2012 Aug 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22918524 (View on PubMed)

Poppelreuter M, Weis J, Bartsch HH. Effects of specific neuropsychological training programs for breast cancer patients after adjuvant chemotherapy. J Psychosoc Oncol. 2009;27(2):274-96. doi: 10.1080/07347330902776044.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19337933 (View on PubMed)

Kesler S, Hadi Hosseini SM, Heckler C, Janelsins M, Palesh O, Mustian K, Morrow G. Cognitive training for improving executive function in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors. Clin Breast Cancer. 2013 Aug;13(4):299-306. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2013.02.004. Epub 2013 May 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23647804 (View on PubMed)

Ercoli LM, Castellon SA, Hunter AM, Kwan L, Kahn-Mills BA, Cernin PA, Leuchter AF, Ganz PA. Assessment of the feasibility of a rehabilitation intervention program for breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints. Brain Imaging Behav. 2013 Dec;7(4):543-53. doi: 10.1007/s11682-013-9237-0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23955490 (View on PubMed)

Ferguson RJ, Ahles TA, Saykin AJ, McDonald BC, Furstenberg CT, Cole BF, Mott LA. Cognitive-behavioral management of chemotherapy-related cognitive change. Psychooncology. 2007 Aug;16(8):772-7. doi: 10.1002/pon.1133.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17152119 (View on PubMed)

Ferguson RJ, McDonald BC, Rocque MA, Furstenberg CT, Horrigan S, Ahles TA, Saykin AJ. Development of CBT for chemotherapy-related cognitive change: results of a waitlist control trial. Psychooncology. 2012 Feb;21(2):176-86. doi: 10.1002/pon.1878. Epub 2010 Dec 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22271538 (View on PubMed)

Lange M, Rigal O, Clarisse B, Giffard B, Sevin E, Barillet M, Eustache F, Joly F. Cognitive dysfunctions in elderly cancer patients: a new challenge for oncologists. Cancer Treat Rev. 2014 Jul;40(6):810-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24713425 (View on PubMed)

Jenkins V, Shilling V, Fallowfield L, Howell A, Hutton S. Does hormone therapy for the treatment of breast cancer have a detrimental effect on memory and cognition? A pilot study. Psychooncology. 2004 Jan;13(1):61-6. doi: 10.1002/pon.709.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 14745746 (View on PubMed)

McKoy JM, Burhenn PS, Browner IS, Loeser KL, Tulas KM, Oden MR, Rupper RW. Assessing cognitive function and capacity in older adults with cancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2014 Jan;12(1):138-44. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2014.0011.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24453297 (View on PubMed)

Kueider AM, Parisi JM, Gross AL, Rebok GW. Computerized cognitive training with older adults: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40588. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040588. Epub 2012 Jul 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22792378 (View on PubMed)

Maseda A, Millan-Calenti JC, Lorenzo-Lopez L, Nunez-Naveira L. Efficacy of a computerized cognitive training application for older adults with and without memory impairments. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2013 Aug;25(4):411-9. doi: 10.1007/s40520-013-0070-5. Epub 2013 Jun 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23780693 (View on PubMed)

Gunther VK, Schafer P, Holzner BJ, Kemmler GW. Long-term improvements in cognitive performance through computer-assisted cognitive training: a pilot study in a residential home for older people. Aging Ment Health. 2003 May;7(3):200-6. doi: 10.1080/1360786031000101175.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12775401 (View on PubMed)

Smith, A. (2014). Older adults and technology use. Pew Research Center. Retrieved on March 24, 2015 from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/older-adults-and-technology-use/.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Other Identifiers

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STU00200767

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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