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

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

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

Brief Summary: 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 Summary:

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).

  • Woodcock Johnson Academic-Third Edition [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A measure of math Fluency, applied math problems, and qualitative concepts
  • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition Integrated [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A measure of verbal and visual working memory
  • Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A measure of verbal and visual working memory
  • Automated Working Memory Assessment [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A measure of verbal and visual working memory
  • Connors' Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A measure of sustained attention
  • Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Parent Version [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A measure of executive functioning
  • Monitoring Basic Skills Progress [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
    A

    Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

    Current Secondary Outcome:

    • SAM [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
      A measure of participants attitude towards math
    • Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
      A measure of visual learning and memory
    • California Verbal Learning Test, Children's Version [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
      A measure of verbal learning and memory
    • CANTAB [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
      A measure of processing speed
    • Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
      A measure of vocabulary and abstract visual reasoning
    • Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System [ Time Frame: Pre-intervention, 12 weeks after intervention and 6 months follow-up ]
      A measure of processing speed


    Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

    Information By: The Hospital for Sick Children

    Dates:
    Date Received: October 7, 2015
    Date Started: October 2015
    Date Completion: October 2018
    Last Updated: October 27, 2016
    Last Verified: October 2016