Dual Task Gait Performance in Pediatric Oncology Patients

Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Pediatric Cancer

Treatments: Other: Dual tak gait assessment (motor+cognitive); Other: Dual task gait assessment (motor+motor); Other: Gait assessment (single)

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04784026

2021/144

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cancer incidence, which is recognized as the leading cause of death in children worldwide, is gradually increasing.

Most studies on children who survive cancer show that the disease and its treatment have side effects and long-term late effects on the musculoskeletal system, physical function, gait and cognitive skills.

Therefore, dual task gait performance, in which cognitive and motor tasks are performed simultaneously, may be affected in pediatric oncology patients. The aim of this study is to compare gait performance in single and dual task conditions in pediatric oncology patients with healthy controls.

Full description

Cancer incidence, which is recognized as the leading cause of death in children worldwide, is gradually increasing. About 300,000 children aged 0 to 19 are diagnosed with cancer each year, according to the international study where the International Agency for Research on Cancer collected data on neoplasms (malignant and non-malignant) diagnosed in individuals under 20 years of age between 2001-2010.

Most studies on children who survive cancer show that the disease and its treatment have side effects and long-term late effects on the musculoskeletal system, physical function, gait and cognitive skills. According to the study of Beulertz et al. (2016), active ankle dorsiflexion limitation, gait disturbances and decrease in walking efficiency were observed in all pediatric oncology patients, which have an important role in walking, not limited to children with bone tumors and central nervous system tumors.Intensive chemotherapy (eg methotrexate) and the use of radiation are thought to cause damage to cortical and subcortical white matter, resulting in late effects. Symptoms consistent with attention deficit disorder and mental processing speed, working memory, executive function and memory deficits put cancer survivors at an intellectual and academic disadvantage.

Therefore, dual task gait performance, in which cognitive and motor tasks are performed simultaneously, may be affected in pediatric oncology patients. The aim of this study is to compare gait performance in single and dual task conditions in pediatric oncology patients with healthy controls.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 18 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Healthy control group:

• Being in the age range of 6-18,
• To be physically, cognitively and mentally healthy,
• Open to communication enough to understand questions,
• Speaking and understanding Turkish,
• Approval has been obtained from the child and his / her family for the study and who agrees to participate in the study,

Case group:

• Able to walk alone without any walking aid,
• Open to communication enough to understand questions,
• Speaking and understanding Turkish,
• Approval has been obtained from the child and his / her family for the study and who agrees to participate in the study,
• Children between the ages of 6-18 will be included in the study

Exclusion criteria

Healthy control group:

• Any orthopedic or neurological impairment that would prevent walking;
• Having any mental disability that prevents cognitive task

Case group:

• Staying in an isolated room or having risk of infection (neutropenic, etc.),
• Any orthopedic or neurological impairment that could prevent walking;
• Having any mental disability that prevents cognitive task,
• Individuals with malignant hypertension or unstable heart disease (eg congestive heart failure) will not be included in the study.

Trial design

40 participants in 2 patient groups

Healthy Control Group

Description:

Healthy children who come to Afyonkarahisar Ege Youth and Sports Club Association for the purpose of sports, newly registered and between the ages of 6-18 will constitute the control group of the study.

Treatment:

Other: Dual tak gait assessment (motor+cognitive)

Other: Dual task gait assessment (motor+motor)

Other: Gait assessment (single)

Case Group

Description:

The sample of the study will be inpatient and outpatient pediatric patients between the ages of 6-18 who have been diagnosed with cancer in the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinics of Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Health Application and Research Center Department of Pediatrics.

Treatment:

Other: Dual tak gait assessment (motor+cognitive)

Other: Dual task gait assessment (motor+motor)

Other: Gait assessment (single)