Exercise Together for patients with primary brain tumors and their caregivers
Official title: ET-NEURO: A Pilot Trial of the Exercise Together Program in Primary Brain Tumor Patient-Caregiver Dyads Incorporating Glymphatic MRI
Run by OHSU Knight Cancer Institute · NCT07278440 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A supervised, partner-based exercise program is being tested to see if it’s safe and helps patients with primary brain tumors and their caregivers feel better and function more easily.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 36 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | bevacizumab, chemotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Portland, Oregon) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 24, 2026 |
| Main results expected | May 2, 2027 |
| Study ends | August 2, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 28, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07278440 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults with WHO grade 1–4 primary brain tumors and their identified caregivers who can participate in virtual resistance-training sessions and meet the treatment-related eligibility criteria.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who cannot participate in regular virtual exercise or who have contraindications to resistance training may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study tests a partnered resistance-training program called Exercise Together, delivered virtually over 12 weeks with sessions twice per week for 75 minutes. It includes MRI as part of standard care and collects surveys to gauge quality of life and patient-caregiver relationships. The study aims to establish safety and feasibility, explore effects on caregiver-patient dynamics and overall well-being, and examine potential links between exercise and brain-cognition-related measures. Participants are followed for 4 weeks after the program and then monthly up to four months. The research uses electronic health records, MRI, questionnaires, and supervised exercise as the core components.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants may experience improved daily functioning, better mood, and strengthened caregiver-patient bonding.
How similar studies have gone: Exercise programs have shown benefits in other cancers, but this is the first to test a partnered format in primary brain tumor patients and caregivers; prior work supports feasibility of exercise in cancer but not this specific dyad approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * PATIENT INCLUSION: * Patient participants must have a diagnosis of World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1-4 PBT such as glioblastoma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, ependymoma, medulloblastoma, meningioma, and other primary brain tumors as determined by the treating physician/neuro-oncologist. Confirmed by review of the electronic medical record (EMR) and subsequently recorded in health history questionnaire. In cases where the EMR isn't clear, their Oregon Health \& Science University OHSU provider will be contacted for confirmation * Patient participants on active oral chemotherapy, including cytotoxic chemotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy, for the treatment of PBT are allowed * Patient participants must be at least 6 weeks after the last dose of intravenous infusion chemotherapy for the treatment of PBT, including bevacizumab, prior to enrollment * Patient participants must be at least 6 weeks post-radiation for PBT prior to enrollment. Patient participants must be at least 8 weeks post-craniotomy prior to enrollment * Patient participants must have a co-residing spouse or partner caregiver due to the program's focus on intimacy * Patient participants must have a Karnofsky performance score of at least 70 or an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 1 or less * Patient participants are permitted to participate in other therapeutic interventional clinical trials for PBT * PATIENT AND CAREGIVER INCLUSION: * Patient participants and caregiver participants must be 18 years of age or older * Patient participants and caregiver participants must state willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study * Patient participants and caregiver participants must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document * Patient participants and caregiver participants must have home internet sufficient for videoconferencing Exclusion Criteria: * PATIENT AND CAREGIVER EXCLUSION: * Patient participants must not have engaged in two or more regular strength training sessions per week (e.g., physical therapy) during the past 30 days, as confirmed by self-report on the health history questionnaire. Caregiver participants are allowed to engage in strength training outside of the program * Patient participants and caregiver participants with cognitive difficulties preclude answering survey questions. In the event of a suspected undeclared cognitive impairment, it will be confirmed by physician clearance or professional opinion of the principal investigator * Because this exercise intervention has not been evaluated in pregnant populations and the study team cannot provide the enhanced monitoring needed to ensure maternal and fetal safety, participants who are pregnant or planning pregnancy are excluded * Patient participants and caregiver participants with medical condition, movement condition, pre-existing focal neurological deficits, new focal deficits concerning for recurrent or progressive PBT necessitating second line treatment, post operative deficits/wound, or medication use that contraindicates participation in moderate intensity exercise. Specific contraindications include the following: poorly controlled diabetes, recent cardiac event, neuromuscular disease, untreated orthostatic hypertension, recent surgery, acute hernia, acute rheumatoid arthritis, severe memory disorders, severe balance disorder, inability to ambulate without a walker or wheelchair, inability to stand for 3 minutes, severe hearing or vision problem * Confirmed by a combination of reviewing the EMR, self-report on the health history questionnaire, and/or by physician clearance. All patient participants will receive physician clearance by the neuro-oncology investigators prior to participating in the trial. For caregiver participants: must answer 'No' to American College of Sports Medicine pre-participation screening questions. If caregiver participants answer 'Yes' to either question they may be required to obtain physician clearance prior to being considered eligible. Physician clearance may also be requested at the discretion of the principal investigator
Where it's running
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OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Portland, Oregon, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Anh Huan Vo — OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.