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Article

Social Functioning of Childhood Cancer Survivors after Computerized Cognitive Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial

by
Leanne K. Mendoza
1,
Jason M. Ashford
1,
Victoria W. Willard
1,
Kellie N. Clark
1,
Karen Martin-Elbahesh
1,
Kristina K. Hardy
2,
Thomas E. Merchant
1,
Sima Jeha
1,
Fang Wang
1,
Hui Zhang
1 and
Heather M. Conklin
1,*
1
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
2
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Children 2019, 6(10), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/children6100105
Submission received: 16 August 2019 / Revised: 16 September 2019 / Accepted: 18 September 2019 / Published: 27 September 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Functioning in Childhood Cancer)
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Abstract

Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for cognitive and social deficits. Previous findings indicate computerized cognitive training can result in an improvement of cognitive skills. The current objective was to investigate whether these cognitive gains generalize to social functioning benefits. Sixty-eight survivors of childhood cancer were randomly assigned to a computerized cognitive intervention (mean age 12.21 ± 2.47 years, 4.97 ± 3.02 years off-treatment) or waitlist control group (mean age 11.82 ± 2.42 years, 5.04 ± 2.41 years off-treatment). Conners 3 Parent and Self-Report forms were completed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and six-months post-intervention. Piecewise linear mixed-effects models indicated no significant differences in Peer Relations between groups at baseline and no difference in change between groups from pre- to immediate post-intervention or post- to six-months post-intervention (ps > 0.40). Baseline Family Relations problems were significantly elevated in the control group relative to the intervention group (p < 0.01), with a significantly greater decline from pre- to immediate post-intervention (p < 0.05) and no difference in change between groups from post- to six-months post-intervention (p > 0.80). The study results suggest cognitive gains from computerized training do not generalize to social functioning. Training focused on skill-based social processing (e.g., affect recognition) may be more efficacious.
Keywords: attention; brain tumors; childhood cancer; computerized cognitive training; executive functioning; late effects; leukemia; social skills; social functioning; survivors attention; brain tumors; childhood cancer; computerized cognitive training; executive functioning; late effects; leukemia; social skills; social functioning; survivors

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mendoza, L.K.; Ashford, J.M.; Willard, V.W.; Clark, K.N.; Martin-Elbahesh, K.; Hardy, K.K.; Merchant, T.E.; Jeha, S.; Wang, F.; Zhang, H.; et al. Social Functioning of Childhood Cancer Survivors after Computerized Cognitive Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Children 2019, 6, 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/children6100105

AMA Style

Mendoza LK, Ashford JM, Willard VW, Clark KN, Martin-Elbahesh K, Hardy KK, Merchant TE, Jeha S, Wang F, Zhang H, et al. Social Functioning of Childhood Cancer Survivors after Computerized Cognitive Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Children. 2019; 6(10):105. https://doi.org/10.3390/children6100105

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mendoza, Leanne K., Jason M. Ashford, Victoria W. Willard, Kellie N. Clark, Karen Martin-Elbahesh, Kristina K. Hardy, Thomas E. Merchant, Sima Jeha, Fang Wang, Hui Zhang, and et al. 2019. "Social Functioning of Childhood Cancer Survivors after Computerized Cognitive Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial" Children 6, no. 10: 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/children6100105

APA Style

Mendoza, L. K., Ashford, J. M., Willard, V. W., Clark, K. N., Martin-Elbahesh, K., Hardy, K. K., Merchant, T. E., Jeha, S., Wang, F., Zhang, H., & Conklin, H. M. (2019). Social Functioning of Childhood Cancer Survivors after Computerized Cognitive Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Children, 6(10), 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/children6100105

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