Learning Impairments Among Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Completed · Phase 4

Conditions studied: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Brain Tumors

In brief

Children surviving some types of cancer have a higher risk of developing learning problems after cancer treatment than do children who have not had cancer or its treatment. Cancer treatment may cause problems with learning, attention, and memory. The purpose of this study is to identify brain changes that may underlie learning problems in cancer survivors and investigate whether methylphenidate (a stimulant medication) may reduce these problems. Subjects who have had treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or a brain tumor will be asked to take part in this research study. Siblings of some subjects will also be asked to take part, so that their results can be compared with those of children who have had cancer treatment. We hypothesize that children receiving more aggressive therapy will have lower white matter brain volumes and these volumes will be significantly lower than age-matched siblings. We also hypothesize that children who take methylphenidate will show improvements on teacher and parent report measures of attention and social skills.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00576472

Run by

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

People needed

469

Starts

2000-01-01

Expected to finish

2010-03-01

Last updated by the study team

2017-05-30

Who can join

Age: 6 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age: 6 to 18 years old.
• Active subject at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, or is an age-matched sibling control subject.
• If a subject, received treatment for brain tumor or ALL with either radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy directed at the brain.
• If a subject, at least 12 months post-completion of antineoplastic therapies
• If a subject, no evidence of malignancy, or continuously stable disease since completion of therapy
• English as a primary language
• Informed consent

You may not qualify if…

• Glaucoma
• Patient or immediate family member with a history of Tourette's syndrome
• Current antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic or stimulant therapy
• History of substance abuse
• Recent history of uncontrolled seizures
• Uncorrected hypothyroidism
• Previously or currently randomized on COGRM1 intervention arm
• Previously diagnosed with ADHD, or, if a patient, diagnosed with ADHD prior to diagnosis of malignancy

Where it is running

• Duke University Medical Center — Durham, North Carolina, United States
• Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina, United States
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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