Actively Recruiting
High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Young Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors: A Pilot Feasibility Study
Led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Updated on 2026-02-24
30
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
52 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
D
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Lead Sponsor
S
Stahl Family Charitable Foundation
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
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.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Young Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors: A Pilot Feasibility Study
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Written informed consent before any study procedures
- Aged 18 to 45 years
- Diagnosed with a brain tumor during childhood or currently have an IDH-mutant glioma diagnosed after age 18
- At least 2 years post tumor therapy for pediatric brain tumor survivors, or at least 1 year since last treatment for IDH-mutant glioma patients
- Medically cleared to participate in exercise by a physician or certified exercise physiologist
- If diagnosed with tumor-related epilepsy, must have good seizure control with no generalized seizures in past 6 months
- No other medical conditions that could worsen with exercise, such as bone disease or uncontrolled cardiopulmonary or metabolic diseases
- Speak English or Spanish
- Participate in 60 minutes or less of moderate or vigorous structured exercise per week
- Do not smoke cigarettes or e-cigarettes regularly; occasional social smoking or vaping allowed
- Willing to travel to DFCI for necessary data collection
- Able to understand and willing to sign informed consent
You will not qualify if you...
- Diagnosis of primary spinal cord tumor
- Uncontrolled tumor-related epilepsy, cardiopulmonary, or metabolic diseases that could worsen with exercise
- Evidence of progressive CNS or systemic cancer in past 3 months
- Pregnant or planning pregnancy during study
- Actively on a weight loss diet
- Participate in more than 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous structured exercise per week
- Regular smoker
- Unable to travel to DFCI for data collection
- Unable to comply with safety monitoring requirements as judged by investigator
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - 16 weeks
Participants in the HIIT exercise group complete 3 home-based virtually supervised High-Intensity Interval Training sessions weekly for 16 weeks. Participants in the control group continue their usual daily activities during this period.
3 exercise sessions per week (virtual) for the HIIT group
Duration - 16 weeks
Participants in the HIIT group complete a 16-week self-directed exercise period with no supervised intervention. Control group participants may optionally begin the 16-week HIIT exercise program after the initial 16 weeks.
Optional 3 exercise sessions per week (virtual) for control group during this period; no supervised sessions for HIIT group
Duration - Throughout 34 weeks
Participants complete on-site visits for fitness and strength assessments and questionnaires at Week 1, 18, and 34 for the HIIT group and at Week 1 and 18 for the control group.
2 to 3 in-person visits depending on group assignment
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
C
Christina Dieli-Conwright, PhD, MPH
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Number of Arms
2
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