NCT03595033

Hydrocephalus iPad-App Based Intervention Study

iPad Application Based Therapy Intervention in School Age Children With Surgically Treated Hydrocephalus

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 14 (actual)
• Sponsor: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years – 6 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This is a pilot study examining the feasibility and efficacy of using Apple iPad applications ("apps") during therapy interventions that target visual motor, visual attention, and visual-spatial reasoning skills in school age children who were previously treated surgically for hydrocephalus. Each subject will participate in an initial assessment and baseline MRI, followed by 6-weeks of iPad app-based interventions, and finally a follow-up assessment and a follow-up MRI.

Detailed description

Long term visuospatial and visuomotor functional deficits are common in pediatric patients with surgically treated hydrocephalus. The deficits are often mild/moderate at early school age although the gap may widen as the children grow older, leading to increasing adverse impact on school performance and academic achievement. The proposed study will generate initial pilot data for the usage of iPad application based therapy intervention for the treatment of cognitive deficits common to pediatric hydrocephalus. It will help determine the optimal intensity and duration of training protocol adapted for the study. In addition, the sensitivity of neuroimaging (DTI) in response to the therapy will be assessed and validated as a biomarker that reflects the neuroanatomical alterations underpinning the outcome changes. This study will generate the crucial data to support the design of future Phase III clinical trial with the long term goal as changing the current standard of care in order to prevent neurocognitive and sensorimotor deficits before the injury to neural circuitry becomes irreversible. The participants who meet the inclusion criteria and do not opt-out of participation will be called by a study coordinator to ensure eligibility and to schedule the initial assessment date. Participation in this study will include 8-10 study visits. These visits include 2 neuropsychological assessments, 2 MRI visits, and 6 weekly visits during intervention phase. MRI visit can be combined with the neuropsychological assessment visit if possible at both the pre- and post intervention time points.

Conditions

• Hydrocephalus
• Hydrocephaly
• Hydrocephalus in Children

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	iPad app-based intervention	The 1-hour of home based intervention will break into three 20-min sessions, each including iPad apps targeting one of the three domains of deficits: visual attention, visual-spatial reasoning, and visual-motor skills.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-11-24
• Primary completion: 2018-12-28
• Completion: 2018-12-28
• First posted: 2018-07-23
• Last updated: 2021-02-26