Physical ACTivity in Survivorship (PACTS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating a goal-directed therapeutic exercise program in pediatric posterior fossa brain tumor survivors.
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Baque, Emmah
Sandler, Carolina X
Brookes, Denise SK
Terranova, Caroline O
Rixon, Matthew
Hassall, Tim
Trost, Stewart G
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Posterior fossa brain tumors (PFBT) are the most common solid tumor in children. Recent increases in survival rates are encouraging; however, survivors may experience a plethora of disease- and treatment-related complications that can persist into adulthood. Therapeutic exercise interventions have been shown to improve quality of survivorship in other pediatric cancer diagnoses. There is also evidence that goal-directed interventions are effective at improving motor activities, function, and self-care in children with complex health conditions. Yet, there is currently no evidence on the efficacy of goal-directed therapeutic exercise in pediatric PFBT survivors. The Physical ACTivity in Survivorship (PACTS) study aims to investigate the effects of a novel goal-directed therapeutic exercise program on cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity-related goal attainment in pediatric survivors of PFBT. METHOD: PFBT survivors, aged five to 17 years, who underwent surgery at least 12 months earlier and completed radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy at least 6 months prior will be recruited from the Queensland Children's Hospital (Brisbane, Australia) (target n = 48). Following baseline assessment, participants are randomized into either the intervention or usual care group. The intervention group will receive weekly individualized, goal-directed exercise therapy delivered face-to-face for 12 weeks, along with an accompanying home-based program (three sessions per week). Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 6- and 12-months post-intervention. The primary outcomes are cardiorespiratory fitness (Peak VO2) and physical activity-related goal attainment. Secondary outcomes are cardiorespiratory endurance, high-level mobility skills, functional muscle strength, habitual physical activity, gait, balance, quality of life, fatigue, participation, perceived movement skill competence and parameters of body composition. DISCUSSION: PACTS is the first study to investigate the efficacy of goal-directed therapeutic exercise in children with PFBT and provide evidence needed to inform clinical practice recommendations for managing quality of survivorship in PFBT survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12619000841178 .
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BMC Pediatrics
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21
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1
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© The Author(s). 2021 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.
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Paediatrics
Reproductive medicine
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Children
Goal attainment
Oncology
Physical activity
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Kohler, BE; Baque, E; Sandler, CX; Brookes, DSK; Terranova, CO; Rixon, M; Hassall, T; Trost, SG, Physical ACTivity in Survivorship (PACTS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating a goal-directed therapeutic exercise program in pediatric posterior fossa brain tumor survivors., BMC Pediatrics, 2021, 21 (1), pp. 105