Cancer Control Research
5R01CA083936-02
Butler, Robert W.
COGNITIVE REMEDIATION FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS
Abstract
DESCRIPTION (adapted from investigator's abstract): As a result of central
nervous system involvement or treatment, many survivors of childhood cancer
suffer from significant attentional deficits. The proposed project will
investigate the efficacy of a multi-modal Cognitive Remediation Program (CRP)
specifically designed to improve survivors attentional deficits which occurred,
presumably, as a consequence of cancer and its treatment. For this study,
survivors are further defined as having been treated or prophylaxed for a
central nervous system cancer (leukemia, brain tumor, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma).
A randomized design will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-to-5
month CRP on attention and other cognitive skills in school-aged
children/adolescents 6 to 17 years of age. The stability of achieved change
will be evaluated six months later. Childhood cancer survivors who are at least
one year off treatment will be screened for an attentional deficit and if it is
detected, they will be randomized to receive CRP (n=112) or no treatment
(n=56). CRP consists of 20 two-hour sessions of attention training. Subjects
will be evaluated pre-treatment, post-treatment (or at a 5 month interval for
the control subjects), and for the treatment group at six-month follow-up.
Measures of focused attention, working memory, memory recall, learning,
vigilance, academic achievement, school behavior, and self-esteem will be
administered. Statistical analyses will assess individual and group changes in
attention and other cognitive skills, and these changes will be related to
changes in academic achievement, school behavior, and self-esteem. To evaluate
the mothers' role in influencing the child's compliance with CRP, they will be
evaluated pre-treatment with measures of problem-solving skills, parenting
skills, and emotional stability. Secondary and exploratory analyses will
examine the influences of maternal factors on CRP adherence and effectiveness.
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