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CC BY 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1812490
Original Article

Preliminary Near-Transfer Effects of a Manualized Cognitive Training Toolkit for Pediatric Cancer Survivors: A Nonrandomized Feasibility Trial

Authors

  • Sujata Satapathy 

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Renu Sharma 

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Mansi Chadha

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Sameer Bakshi

    2   Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. B. R. A. Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Rachna Seth

    3   Division of Pediatrics Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Rajesh Sagar

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Vidhi Khanna 

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Rachana Maurya

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Usha Devi 

    1   Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Sandeep Agarwala

    4   Department of Paediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

  • Vishesh Jain

    4   Department of Paediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

Funding The study is an ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)-funded study.
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Abstract

Introduction

Computerized cognitive training has reasonable evidence for ameliorating cognitive deficits in childhood cancer survivors; however, availability, affordability, and nonadaptation are impending factors. Despite therapist-delivered cognitive training has similar effects, there is no indigenous and replicable structured manualized cognitive training for childhood cancer survivors in India.

Objective

The feasibility and indicative impact assessment of a manualized cognitive training toolkit (MCTT) (similar effect size as CogMed working memory training and PSSCogRehb software for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) was examined to fabricate to meet the needs of the target group.

Materials and Methods

With a pre–post design, 10 survivors (M = 8, F = 2) between 6 and 11 years (mean age = 8.6 ± 2.7 years) with Social Quotient (SQ) ≥ 85 (mean SQ = 99.8 ± 11.75), and having significant cognitive deficits were recruited. Far-transfer effects were assessed through parents' rated Child Behavior Rating Scale, and near-transfer effects through Cognitive Assessment System-2.

Results

Note that 58.33% had cognitive deficits across planning, attention, and successive and simultaneous processing. MCTT with 18 cognitive tasks (16 difficulty levels) delivered in 8 days (over 2 weeks:16 hours) was feasible. Except attention domain, MCTT had significant near-transfer effects on planning (Z = 2.88, p < 0.01, r = 0.86), simultaneous (Z = 2.55, p < 0.01, r = 0.81), and successive processing (Z = 2.45, p < 0.01, r = 0.77) with large effect size.

Discussion

MCTT was a feasible toolkit; however, refabrication with increased number of attention-focused tasks and difficulty levels was indicated. Expectedly, MCTT did not have positive/negative impacts on behaviors.

Conclusion

MCTT has potentiality for a randomized controlled trial and can be compared to any computerized training for this target group.

Keywords

MCTT - pediatric cancer survivors - cognitive deficits

Authors' Contributions

S.S.: Conceptualized the study, main lead for MCTT development, supervised the whole research process and data analysis, written the original manuscript, and edited it. R.S.: Contributed in research formulation, development of MCTT, supervising in data collection, data analysis, and editing the final manuscript. M.C.: Contributed is in data collection, data analysis, and writing the initial draft of the manuscript. S.B.: Contributed in data collection, supervision during data collection, and in technical/clinical aspects related to data. R.S.: Contributed in data collection, supervision during data collection, and in technical/clinical aspects related to data. R.S.: Contributed as an advisor for the study, provided supervision during study, data collection, and training process. V.K.: Contributed in data collection, data analysis, and managing barriers during data collection. R.M.: Contributed in data collection, data analysis, and managing barriers during data collection. U.D.: Contributed in data collection, data analysis, and managing barriers during data collection. S.A.: Contributed in data collection, supervision during data collection, and in technical/clinical aspects related to data. V.J.: Contributed in data collection, supervision during data collection, and in technical/clinical aspects related to data. The manuscript has been read and approved by all the authors, that the requirements for authorship have been met and that each author believes that the manuscript represents honest work and that information is not provided in another form.


Patient Consent

Patient consent has been received.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
03 November 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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