Musical Training Programme to Improve Neurocognitive Functioning of Children Surviving Brain Tumours

Feasibility Study of a Musical Training Program in Improving the Neurocognitive Functioning of Children Surviving Brain Tumours

We aim to conduct a feasibility study to determine the feasibility and suitability of implementing a musical training program for children surviving brain tumours. This study will demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of surviving brain tumours.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Brain Tumor; Cancer Childhood
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Musical Training Program

Detailed Description

Brain tumour is the second most common childhood cancer in Hong Kong. Evidence shows that cancer and its treatments have long-term and lasting adverse effects on the neurocognitive functioning of paediatric brain tumour survivors, including the impairment of intellectual development and deficits in attention, working memory, processing speed and executive functions. There has been an increase in the use of musical training to promote the neuro-rehabilitation of patients suffering from stroke and Parkinson's disease, and to improve reading skills and academic achievement in young poor readers, and to enhance children's cognitive development. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) from 2017 to 2018 to examine the effectiveness of musical training on psychological outcomes and quality of life in Chinese paediatric brain tumour survivors. The results showed that participants who received a weekly 45-min lesson on musical training for 52 weeks (intervention group) reported statistically significant fewer depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-esteem, and better quality of life than those who received placebo intervention (control group) at 12-month demonstrating the effectiveness of musical training intervention. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether musical training can also be used to improve neurocognitive functioning, in particular the attention, processing speed, and executive functions of children surviving brain tumours.

The overall aim of this proposed study will be to assess the feasibility of a musical training program in improving the neurocognitive functioning of children surviving brain tumours. The objectives of this feasibility study are as follows:

1. To ascertain the feasibility of recruitment and data collection in the outpatient clinic of the Hong Kong Children's Hospital;
2. To assess the response and retention rates of the study;
3. To examine the content of the proposed musical training program for its appropriateness, comprehensiveness and duration to the target participants;
4. To evaluate the appropriateness and feasibility of using various assessment tools in measuring the intelligence, attention, processing speed and executive functions of the paediatric brain tumour survivors; and
5. To assess any changes in neurocognitive functioning of children surviving brain tumours after receiving musical training for 52 weeks.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Joyce Chung; Phone Number: +852 27666322; Email: okjoyce.chung@polyu.edu.hk

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • The Hong Kong Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 7 years to 16 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. children who have completed cancer treatment at least 2 months previously;
2. aged between 7 and 16 years,
3. able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese, and
4. those who have not undertaken any musical training following their cancer diagnosis.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. those survivors with evidence of cancer recurrence or second malignancy in their medical records

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Musical Training; All subjects in the intervention group will receive a weekly 45-minute lesson, one-to-one musical training for 52 weeks.	Other: Musical Training Program; a weekly 45-minute lesson, one-to-one musical training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Recruitment rate of the study	the proportion of subjects who are eligible and invited and consent to participate.	at baseline before the start of the intervention
Response rate of the study	The proportion of subjects who complete the questionnaires and assessments at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention	at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Retention rate of the study	The proportion of subjects who complete the whole intervention from baseline to 12 months.	at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Nonverbal intelligence scores of the subject	Measured by the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, 4th edition (TONI-4)	at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Attention scores of the subject	Measured by the Digit Span	at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Processing speed scores of the subject	Measured by the Children's Color Trails Test (CCTT)	at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention
Executive functions scores of the subject	Measured by the Children's Color Trails Test (CCTT)	at baseline and 12 months after starting the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Collaborators: Health and Medical Research Fund
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joyce Chung, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 15, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 10, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): January 24, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 16, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Central Nervous System Neoplasms; Nervous System Neoplasms; Brain Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: HKCH-REC-2021-008

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No