ROBO-PAWS: Robot-Dog-Assisted Walking

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Sleep Quality, Fatigue, Quality of Life

In brief

Childhood cancers affect approximately 400,000 children and adolescents worldwide each year. Although advances in treatment have significantly improved survival rates, children undergoing cancer treatment continue to experience a wide range of treatment-related symptoms and complications. Among these, fatigue and sleep disturbances are particularly common and may persist throughout treatment and survivorship, negatively affecting psychological well-being, cognitive functioning, and overall quality of life. Reduced physical activity during treatment is strongly associated with worsening fatigue, impaired sleep, and decreased quality of life in pediatric oncology patients. However, treatment side effects, prolonged hospitalization, infection risk, and lack of motivating play-based activities often limit children's participation in physical activity during treatment. Recent evidence suggests that physical activity interventions may help reduce fatigue and improve well-being in children with cancer, yet engaging and age-appropriate non-pharmacological interventions remain limited, especially for younger children. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of a robot-dog-assisted walking intervention on sleep quality, fatigue, and quality of life among children aged 2-7 years undergoing cancer treatment.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07603180

Run by

Koç University

People needed

40

Starts

2026-06-01

Expected to finish

2027-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-22

Who can join

Age: 2 and older, up to 7. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Aged between 2 and 7 years,
• Diagnosed with cancer and currently receiving active treatment,
• Pain level not severe enough to interfere with mobilization (FLACC or Wong-Baker FACES score ≤ 4),
• Diagnosed within the previous 1 month,
• Medically stable and approved by the physician to participate in light-intensity walking activities,
• Expected to remain hospitalized for at least 1 month to allow completion of the study protocol,
• Not scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and not currently undergoing HSCT,
• Hemoglobin level adequate for participation in walking activities (>10 g/dL),
• No significant impairment in consciousness, balance, or motor functions due to heavy analgesic or sedative medication use.

You may not qualify if…

• Resting SpO₂ <94%, requirement for ≥2 L/min oxygen support, or recurrent desaturation episodes within the last 24 hours,
• Heart rate or respiratory rate significantly elevated or irregular for age,
• Hemodynamic instability,
• Visual, hearing, or severe cognitive impairment that would prevent interaction with the robotic dog,
• Increased mobilization risk due to high-dose corticosteroid treatment or medications associated with neurotoxicity,
• Motor function limitations that would interfere with safe walking,
• Concurrent severe infection or serious treatment-related complications (e.g., grade 3-4 mucositis or severe neutropenia requiring isolation),
• Children receiving end-of-life care.

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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