Engaging Parents in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation for Childhood Cancer Survivors: The ImPACT Program - A Pilot Study

Aarhus University Hospital

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Cognitive Dysfunction; Pediatric Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: ImPACT

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05483166

ImPACT Child

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of the present pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel, context-sensitive neuropsychological rehabilitation intervention for childhood cancer survivors and their families.

Full description

Cognitive impairment is the most common late effect in childhood cancer survivors, and despite the negative effects of these symptoms on quality of life, scholastic achievement and long-term socioeconomic outcomes, there continues to be no "gold standard" treatment for childhood cancer survivors with cognitive impairment.

Indeed, there is a dearth of research on interventions to treat cognitive impairment in childhood cancer survivors, and the relatively few studied interventions have proven limited effects. Arguably, four key elements are missing from a majority of studied interventions:1) transfer of learning to real-world functional outcomes, 2) awareness training to enhance compensatory strategy use, 3) inclusion of parents that could enhance transfer of learning to the home, and 4) recognition of the inter-related nature of cognitive, neurobehavioral, and psychological functions.

The "I'M aware: Parents and Children Together (ImPACT)" program is a novel, context-sensitive neuropsychological rehabilitation intervention that targets the above mentioned missing elements in previous rehabilitation efforts. The present pilot study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of this program in childhood cancer survivors with cognitive impairment in preparation for a large-scale randomized controlled trial.

Enrollment: 10 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Cancer diagnosis of a leukemia, lymphoma, or central nervous system tumor
• Completed primary treatment at least 6 months ago
• Not terminally ill
• Attend school
• Living with one or more parents who speak Danish and are willing to co-participate
• Screened as having parent-reported cognitive and/or neurobehavioral impairment

Exclusion criteria

• Confounding diagnosed or suspected psychiatric or medical condition unrelated to the cancer or its treatment that might contribute to cognitive or neurobehavioral impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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10 participants in 1 patient group

ImPACT program

Experimental group

Description:

The ImPACT program consists of 8 weekly 1-hour sessions with homework between sessions.

Treatment:

Behavioral: ImPACT