Exercise and Cognitive Rehabilitation Interventions for Older Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
University of Rochester
Summary
The objective of this study is to assess the preliminary effects of an integrated exercise and cognitive rehabilitation intervention (ECO), an exercise intervention (EXCAP), and a cognitive rehabilitation intervention (MAAT) as compared to usual care on objective cognition (Trail Making Test).
Description
Cancer-Related Cognitive Dysfunction (CRCD) is a prevalent problem for older cancer survivors. Sixty-four percent of current cancer survivors are aged ≥65, and by 2040, it is estimated that over 19 million older cancer survivors will be living in the United States. Up to 50% of these individuals experience CRCD post-treatment, which can persist for years after treatment completion. For older adults, CRCD can affect their ability to perform daily tasks, such as taking medications or managing finances, reducing their overall independence. Although evidence-based interventions exist to treat CRCD…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 65+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion criteria: * Age ≥65 years (from date of consent, confirmed on the electronic medical record) * A diagnosis of any cancer * Have completed curative intent treatments * Patients on endocrine therapies are allowed to enroll * Patients with hematologic malignancies after autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplant are allowed to enroll if they have completed curative-intent treatment * Answered "yes" to the verbal question "Do you have concerns about memory or other thinking abilities following your cancer treatment?" * Able to speak English (interventions are available in Englis…
Interventions
- BehavioralEXCAP
The first component of the EXCAP exercise program is an individually tailored walking prescription and provides low to moderately intense aerobic exercise \[5-8 exercise rating of perceived exertion on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) revised rating scale, which is a visual analog scale ranging from 1 = "Not tired at all" to 10 = "So tired, I can't go anymore"\] 7 days a week. This walking prescription will be developed and individually tailored for each patient based on step data reported by the patient. A Garmin activity tracker (a wearable sensor-based device) will be used to record the number of steps they walk daily during the 4-7 day baseline assessment. Patients will report their steps daily on a paper form, electronically via REDCap, or over the phone to the study staff at the end of the 4-7 day baseline assessment period. Alternatively, steps can also be obtained via the activity tracker by study staff.
- BehavioralMAAT
The MAAT intervention consists of 10 manualized workshops that will be delivered by a trained clinician. Patients will be provided with a workbook for skills practice in between sessions. A summary of workshop content is provided in Table 1. During Workshop #2, study staff or a trained clinician will provide patients with a link to a Vimeo video through the app. The Vimeo video has been created by the study team and guides patients through relaxation strategies to use before stressful events. Patients will be able to access the video without providing any personal information to the website.
- BehavioralECO
Patients will receive the integrated EXCAP and MAAT interventions.
Location
- University of RochesterRochester, New York