NCT00693914

Working Memory Performance Among Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors

Working Memory Performance Among Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors Treated With Conformal Radiation Therapy: A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 130 (actual)
• Sponsor: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 8 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Children treated with radiation therapy for brain tumors are at risk for cognitive problems. These problems have typically been demonstrated on global cognitive measures including measures of intellectual functioning (IQ). Identification of specific areas of impairment can assist in isolating vulnerable brain areas and developing targeted interventions. In this study, we assess brain tumor survivors, solid tumor controls and healthy sibling controls using measures of working memory (online maintenance and manipulation of information) in order to identify a specific cognitive process that may underlie the observed decline in IQ. We are also exploring relationships among working memory performance with IQ, clinical characteristics and a specific genetic factor of interest.

Detailed description

This is a cross-sectional controlled study of brain tumor survivors treated at St. Jude with conformal radiation therapy. Brain tumor survivors (n= 50, solid tumor survivors (n=40), and healthy sibling controls (n= 40) are evaluated once only with laboratory measures of cognitive skills (working memory, episodic memory and estimated IQ) and parental questionnaires (executive and adaptive functions). We also use buccal (cheek) swabs to gather samples for DNA extraction. We hypothesize: brain tumor survivors will perform significantly worse than solid tumor and healthy controls on measures of working memory, working memory will correlate significantly with IQ, working memory will be associated with parent report of executive functions and a specified genotype related to dopamine metabolism will be associated with working memory impairment.

Conditions

• Brain Tumors

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Series of tests/questionnaires	Developmental and Demographic, KINDL Health-Related Quality of Life, Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-II),Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), Wechsler Digit Span Task, Wide Range Achievement Test 3rd Edition (WRAT3),Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Pediatric Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), Recognition Memory Task: Face Stimuli, Recognition Memory Task: Verbal Stimuli, Self Ordered Search: Object, Self Order Search: Verbal

Timeline

• Start date: 2007-04-01
• Primary completion: 2009-12-01
• Completion: 2009-12-01
• First posted: 2008-06-09
• Last updated: 2017-04-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States