The Activity Intervention for Chemobrain (TACTIC)
March 30, 2017 updated by: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Exercise Intervention for Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Dysfunction
Cognitive dysfunction following chemotherapy is an adverse treatment effect that impacts the quality of life for many cancer survivors receiving this adjuvant therapy.
A strong body of evidence now indicates that that the initiation of a regular exercise program, at levels that are readily achievable by most adults (3-5 d/wk, 30-45 min/session), can improve cognitive function.
Importantly, the domains of cognitive function that are enhanced by exercise participation are the same domains that are negatively affected by chemotherapy.
Accordingly, we propose a 2 year research program that seeks to develop and test a safe, simple, and effective exercise intervention to optimize cognitive function following chemotherapy.
To begin this research, we will: 1) conduct a randomized exercise intervention trial among cancer survivors that report persistent cognitive problems following chemotherapy (n=60), 2) explore possible mediators and moderators of the intervention on cognition in order to begin to understand how the intervention may work and for whom it may be most effective, and 3), conduct a cross-sectional study comparing cancer survivors enrolled in the trial (n=60) and matched controls (n=40) to evaluate the cognitive status among survivors in the intervention.
We hypothesize that six-months of regular exercise will enhance cognitive function among cancer survivors, and that cancer survivors reporting cognitive dysfunction will have lower objectively measured cognitive performance than adults who have not received chemotherapy.
To our knowledge this study would be the first to examine the influence of regular exercise participation on cognitive function among cancer survivors that experienced cognitive difficulties following chemotherapy.
Study Overview
Status
Completed
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
A substantial number of cancer survivors who receive chemotherapy report mild to moderate cognitive impairment following treatment.
These impairments have been reported across a range of cancer types and chemotherapy agents.
Adjuvant treatment has been reported to affect multiple cognitive domains, but three domains appear to be most strongly affected (i.e., executive functioning, declarative memory, motor function).
Exercise participation, at levels that are readily achievable by most adults (3-5 d/wk, 30-45 min/d), preserves and enhances cognitive function.
Importantly, domains that are enhanced by exercise overlap substantially with the domains adversely affected by chemotherapy.
Accordingly, we propose a 2 year research program that seeks to develop and test a safe, simple, and effective exercise intervention to optimize cognitive function following chemotherapy.
To begin this research, we will: 1) conduct a randomized exercise intervention trial among cancer survivors that report persistent cognitive problems following chemotherapy (exercise, n=30 vs. standard of care, n=30); 2) explore possible mediators and moderators of the intervention effect on cognition; and 3), conduct a cross-sectional study comparing cancer survivors enrolled in the trial (n=60) and matched controls (n=40) to evaluate the cognitive status among survivors in the intervention.
We will employ a proven home-based exercise intervention and state of the art cognitive testing of relevant cognitive domains (e.g., Randt Memory Test, Trail Making B, Stroop task, T ask switching, Response compatibility) that we have used in preliminary studies.
We hypothesize that six-months of regular exercise will enhance cognitive function among cancer survivors, and that cancer survivors reporting cognitive dysfunction will have lower objectively measured cognitive performance than adults who have not received chemotherapy.
To our knowledge this study would be the first to examine the influence of regular exercise participation on cognitive function among cancer survivors that experienced cognitive difficulties following chemotherapy.
Completion of this project will provide our research team with the necessary experience and intervention effectiveness information that will be used to conduct future more definitive trials.
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Actual)
64
Phase
- Phase 2
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
-
-
Tennessee
-
Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37203
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
-
-
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
Ages Eligible for Study
18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Genders Eligible for Study
All
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Non-metastatic cancer and received at least 4 cycles of chemotherapy, and report the onset of persistent cognitive difficulties following treatment Age 18+ yrs
Exclusion Criteria:
- Have no prior diagnosis of cancer of the central nervous system,
- Not have engaged in regular exercise in the past year (i.e., 5+ days/wk, 20+ min/d, 3+ months),
- No cardiovascular disease or orthopedic problems that could be worsened by exercise as reported on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire
- No major systemic diseases (e.g., liver, kidney or adrenal diseases).
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: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: None (Open Label)
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Active Comparator: 2
Usual Care
|
6-months of behavioral strategies to aid memory/cognition
|
|
Experimental: 1
Exercise
|
6-months of regular aerobic exercise
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Time Frame |
|---|---|
|
Objective measures of cognitive function (a test battery)
Time Frame: 6-months
|
6-months
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Time Frame |
|---|---|
|
Exploratory analyses of psychological status, cardiorespiratory fitness, and inflammatory markers in blood.
Time Frame: 6-months
|
6-months
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Collaborators
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Charles E. Matthews, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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
February 1, 2006
Primary Completion (Actual)
January 1, 2008
Study Completion (Actual)
January 1, 2008
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
July 2, 2007
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
July 2, 2007
First Posted (Estimate)
July 3, 2007
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
April 4, 2017
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
March 30, 2017
Last Verified
March 1, 2017
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- TACTIC
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.