Effectiveness of Musical Training in Children Surviving Brain Tumours
Condition: Brain Neoplasms; Child
MeSH terms: Brain Neoplasms
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study aims to examine the effects of musical training on improving the neurocognitive
      function and psychological well-being of children surviving brain tumours. Half of the
      participants will receive weekly 45-minute lessons on musical training for one year (52
      weeks) while the other half are the placebo controls.
    

Detailed description: 
      Children surviving brain tumours have the highest risk of suffering neurocognitive late
      effects, such as impairment of intellectual development and deficits in attention and
      concentration, working memory, processing speed and executive function. Such effects severely
      affect their levels of academic achievement, psychosocial function and quality of life.
      Musical training is considered to have potential for treating neurocognitive
      impairment,mostly because the extensive brain networks engaged in musical training can induce
      substantial neuroplasticity changes in cortical and subcortical regions of motor, auditory
      and speech processing networks. A review of musical training for neuro-rehabilitation
      revealed that it can enhance motor recovery and neuroplasticity after stroke and improve
      motor deficits observed in Parkinson's disease. A growing body of evidence points to the
      beneficial effects of musical training on the cognitive development of children. The results
      of a longitudinal study on the effects of musical training on children's brain and cognitive
      development demonstrated that such training results in long-term enhancement of
      visualspatial, verbal and mathematical performance. Moreover, engaging in musical practice in
      childhood predicts academic performance and IQ at the university level. Thus, there appears
      to be some support for the effects of music lessons on intellectual development.

      Nevertheless, although musical training is popular and is considered to be a beneficial
      intervention in the treatment of neurocognitive impairment, longitudinal studies that examine
      the efficacy of music-making in clinical settings are limited. Importantly, there is to date
      no study that examines the effects of musical training on induction of neuroplasticity in
      childhood cancer survivors with neurocognitive impairment. There is an imperative need for
      rigorous empirical scrutiny of the ability of musical training, in particular, to achieve
      neuroplasticity and thus promote the cognitive function and psychological well-being of
      children surviving brain tumours.
    

Intervention name(s): musical training; tutoring classes
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The subjects in the experimental group will receive weekly 45-minute lessons on musical training for one year (52 weeks), conducted by the Music Children Foundation.; They will be invited to attend free, weekly 45-minute tutoring classes organised by the community for one year (52 weeks).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care