Minimizing radiation impact on cognitive function in children with brain tumors

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This trial aims to assess whether targeted radiation planning can reduce exposure to brain areas critical for cognitive function in pediatric patients undergoing treatment for brain or head and neck tumors. Participants will undergo neurocognitive testing and MRI imaging to evaluate the effects of radiation on brain structure and function. The study includes newly diagnosed patients, survivors of childhood brain tumors, and healthy children for comparison. The goal is to determine if minimizing radiation to specific brain substructures can help preserve cognitive abilities in these young patients.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

1. STRATUM A

   1. Eligibility Criteria

      * aged 1 to \<26 years of age
      * tumor must be located in the brain or adjacent to the brain including but not limited to nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses and orbit
      * treatment must include radiation therapy (either proton or photon)
      * patients must not have completed radiation therapy
   2. Exclusion Criteria

      * pregnancy
      * patients who are not able to undergo neuro-cognitive testing, including children lacking English comprehension or children with premorbid neurological/neurodevelopmental disorders such as Down's syndrome or autism
2. STRATUM B

   1. Eligibility Criteria

      * diagnosed with a brain tumor at \<26 years of age
      * received radiation to the brain as part of therapy
      * time from radiation start to study enrollment is ≥ 2 years
      * there has not been disease recurrence from time of most recent radiation treatment to study enrollment
   2. Exclusion Criteria

      * patients who are not able to undergo neuro-cognitive testing, including children lacking English comprehension or children with premorbid neurological/neurodevelopmental disorders such as Down's syndrome or autism
3. STRATUM C

   1. Eligibility Criteria

      * must be aged 5 to \<26 years of age
      * must be able to complete research imaging without sedation
   2. Exclusion Criteria

      * must not have any major psychiatric, neurologic or medical diagnosis

Where it's running

• Sibley Memorial Hospital
  Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States Recruiting
• Johns Hopkins Hospital
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Sahaja Acharya, MD — Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
• Study coordinator: Sahaja Acharya, MD
• Email: sachary7@jhmi.edu
• Phone: 202-537-4788

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Using brodalumab to treat immune-related side effects from cancer therapy

  This study is testing if brodalumab can help cancer patients who are having immune-related side effects from their immunotherapy treatment feel better.

  Recruiting Phase 1 Columbia University · New York, New York · NCT06673329

• Evaluating the impact of MR-guided radiation therapy on cancer treatment outcomes

  This study is testing how using a special type of radiation therapy with real-time imaging can improve treatment results and quality of life for adults with cancer.

  Recruiting at 14 sites UMC Utrecht · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and 17 other locations · NCT04075305

• Phenotype-based Pain Guidance for Head and Neck Cancer-Related Pain (pilot)

  This pilot test sees if tailoring pain treatment to a patient’s pain type can reduce head and neck cancer pain in adults who haven’t started cancer treatment yet.

  Recruiting Phase 2 Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre · Lahore, Punjab Province · NCT07919444

• Airway ultrasound in head and neck cancer patients

  This observational study tests whether neck ultrasound measurements of the airway match CT measurements in adults with maxillofacial cancer undergoing surgery with anesthesia.

  Recruiting at 2 sites University Hospital Dubrava · Zagreb, City of Zagreb and 1 other locations · NCT07910149

• Safe use of metformin and naproxen to help prevent cancer in people with Fanconi anemia

  This study tests whether metformin and naproxen can lower the chance of cancer developing in adults with Fanconi anemia.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Phase 1 Rockefeller University · Minneapolis, Minnesota and 1 other locations · NCT07901959

• One-day exercise test to see how brain and body react in epilepsy, cognitive disorders, Parkinson's, dementia, and related conditions

  A one-day study tests how an acute bout of exercise changes brain function and bodily signals in people with certain neurological conditions compared with healthy individuals.

  Recruiting Brigham and Women's Hospital · Boston, Massachusetts · NCT07883720

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.