Virtual High-Intensity Interval Training to Improve Health in Young Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether a 16-week virtual, home-based high-intensity interval training HIIT exercise program can improve physical, cognitive, and emotional health in young adults who survived pediatric brain tumors. This pilot feasibility study randomly assigns participants to either an exercise group or a control group to compare effects on physical fitness, social outcomes, and overall quality of life. The study is supported by the Stahl Family Charitable Foundation, Pedal 4 Pediatrics, and the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation. Participants in the HIIT exercise group will complete a 16-week virtually supervised home exercise program using a stationary bike via Zoom, training three times weekly. After this, they will enter a 16-week self-directed exercise follow-up period. The control group will maintain their usual daily activities for 16 weeks before optionally completing the same 16-week HIIT program. On-site visits for assessment and questionnaires are scheduled at weeks 1, 18, and 34 for the exercise group, and weeks 1 and 18 for the control group. Participants will undergo fitness and strength evaluations, blood collection, activity logging, and survey questionnaires throughout the approximately 8-month study. Researchers will measure exercise session attendance, duration, compliance, barriers, and participant burden during the intervention. Secondary outcomes include cognition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, body composition, fatigue, psychosocial health, sleep quality, dietary intake, physical activity monitoring, exercise tolerance, pain, and body measurements. Safety monitoring and follow-up assessments are integrated throughout the study.

High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Young Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors: A Pilot Feasibility Study