Description

Cognitive impairment is the most common late effect in childhood cancer survivors, and despite the negative effects of these symptoms on quality of life, scholastic achievement and long-term socioeconomic outcomes, there continues to be no "gold standard" treatment for childhood cancer survivors with cognitive impairment.

Indeed, there is a dearth of research on interventions to treat cognitive impairment in childhood cancer survivors, and the relatively few studied interventions have proven limited effects. Arguably, four key elements are missing from a majority of studied interventions:1) transfer of learning to real-world functional outcomes, 2) awareness training to enhance compensatory strategy use, 3) inclusion of parents that could enhance transfer of learning to the home, and 4) recognition of the inter-related nature of cognitive, neurobehavioral, and psychological functions.

The "I'M aware: Parents and Children Together (ImPACT)" program is a novel, context-sensitive neuropsychological rehabilitation intervention that targets the above mentioned missing elements in previous rehabilitation efforts. The present pilot study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of this program in childhood cancer survivors with cognitive impairment in preparation for a large-scale randomized controlled trial.

        • Confounding diagnosed or suspected psychiatric or medical condition unrelated to the
        cancer or its treatment that might contribute to cognitive or neurobehavioral impairment