Memory Training Intervention for Breast Cancer Survivors

February 21, 2023 updated by: Diane Von Ah, Indiana University

This is a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the ACTIVE memory training intervention and ACTIVE speed of processing training to waitlist, no-contact control conditions. Specific aims and hypotheses are:

Aim 1: Evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of the ACTIVE memory intervention among Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS).

Hypothesis 1: BCS assigned to the memory intervention arm will perceive the intervention as more acceptable and useful than BCS assigned to the attention control condition.

Aim 2: Establish preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE memory training intervention relative to the attention control and no-contact control conditions.

Hypothesis 2: Memory training will result in greater memory enhancement immediately post and 2-months post-intervention relative to attention control or no-contact control conditions.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Memory deficits are a prevalent, bothersome, and potentially debilitating symptom for millions of breast cancer survivors (BCS). Evidence-based treatment is difficult because there has been little intervention research in this area. Memory training may be a viable treatment option for BCS in need. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the acceptability, usefulness, and preliminary efficacy of the memory training intervention from the Advanced Cognitive Training in Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) trial, the largest controlled trial of cognitive interventions in the behavioral sciences. The memory training intervention will be compared to attention control and no-contact control groups. Specific aims are to (1) evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of the memory intervention in BCS and (2) establish preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE memory training intervention relative to attention control and no-contact control conditions. Acceptability and usefulness will be assessed through self-report. Memory will be assessed through objective neuropsychological tests. A total of 108 eligible BCS will be randomized to memory training, attention control, or no-contact control. A blinded and trained tester will perform data collection and neuropsychological testing at three time points: baseline prior to the intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 2 months post-intervention. Findings will provide information about the acceptability, usefulness, and preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE memory training intervention on memory performance in BCS. Positive results will lead to a larger, full-scale study to determine efficacy of memory training interventions for BCS. Nursing interventional research in this area is vital to the development of evidence-based interventions to address memory deficits in BCS.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
88

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • Indiana University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. female gender (breast cancer is rare in men);
  2. self-reported memory impairment and desire for treatment (to focus on BCS in greatest need);
  3. first diagnosis of non-metastatic breast cancer (to control for multiple treatments or brain metastases in women with recurrent or metastatic disease);
  4. ≥ 1 year post-treatment including surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy (reduce confounding factors related to acute effects of treatment);32
  5. age ≥ 40 years (our prior studies indicate approximately 75% of BCS meet this criterion and reduce sample variability);
  6. post-menopausal (majority are post-menopausal at diagnosis and reduce sample variability); and
  7. able to read, write, understand, and speak English (to ensure informed consent).

Exclusion Criteria:

Women will be excluded if they have other co-morbidities or deficits that would sufficiently impair performance or inhibit cognitive training including:

  1. substantial cognitive decline (score < 24 on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE);33
  2. history of stroke, encephalitis, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, dementia, Alzheimer disease, or Parkinson disease;
  3. cranial radiation therapy or intrathecal therapy;
  4. current active major depression or substance abuse or history of bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, or learning disability;
  5. history of or current other cancer except for basal cell skin cancer; or
  6. receiving other cognitive training (to avoid exposure to other training).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: memory training
memory training 10 1-hour sessions with interventionist to be delivered over 6-8 weeks
Behavioral: memory training
10 1-hour sessions over 6-8 weeks
Experimental: speed of processing training
Speed of processing training 10 1-hour sessions delivered over 6-8 weeks
Behavioral: speed of processing training
10 1-hour sessions delivered over 6-8 weeks
Experimental: waitlist control
Breast cancer survivors will be randomized to 1 of 3 groups: memory training, speed of process training or waitlist control
Behavioral: waitlist control
Breast cancer survivors will receive the speed of processing training compact disc in the mail after study completion.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Memory Performance
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately post intervention
Evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of the ACTIVE memory intervention among Breast Cancer Survivors.
Baseline, immediately post intervention
Memory Performance
Time Frame: 2-month post intervention
Evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of the ACTIVE memory intervention among Breast Cancer Survivors.
2-month post intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Subjective Cognitive Function
Time Frame: baseline, immediately post intervention
Preliminary efficacy established by objective neuropsychological tests and quality of life.
baseline, immediately post intervention
Subjective Cognitive Function
Time Frame: 2-month follow-up
Post intervention efficacy established by objective neuropsychological tests and quality of life.
2-month follow-up
Symptom distress
Time Frame: baseline, immediately post intervention
Preliminary symptom distress
baseline, immediately post intervention
Symptom distress
Time Frame: 2-month follow-up
Post intervention symptom distress
2-month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Indiana University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Diane Von Ah, PhD, RN, CNA, Indiana University
  • Study Director: Andrew Saykin, PsyD, Indiana University
  • Study Director: Frederick Unverzagt, PhD, Indiana University
  • Study Director: Janet Carpenter, PhD, RN, Indiana University
  • Study Director: Patrick Monahan, PhD, Indiana University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2008

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 15, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 19, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 22, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 23, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 21, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 64194

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