Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy in Pediatric Cancer

NCT07596745 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: TBAEK-531
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Childhood cancer requires prolonged and intensive treatment, resulting in significant biopsychosocial challenges for affected children and their families. During and following treatment, children frequently experience impairments in fine and gross motor skills, reduced physical capacity, emotional difficulties, and decreased participation in daily activities. Within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY), these impairments in body structure and function may negatively influence activity, participation, and overall quality of life. Dance therapy is a holistic rehabilitation approach that integrates rhythm, structured movement, and emotional expression to enhance motor performance, body awareness, and psychosocial well-being. Emerging evidence suggests that dance-based interventions may contribute to improved pain management, psychological resilience, and emotional health in pediatric oncology populations. However, access to structured physical activity programs remains limited due to treatment-related fatigue, infection risk, travel burden, time constraints, and financial costs. Telerehabilitation may overcome these barriers by delivering therapy remotely, thereby improving accessibility, reducing logistical constraints, and ensuring continuity of care. The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of an 8-week telerehabilitation-based dance therapy program (twice weekly, 35-40 minutes per session) on fine and gross motor skills, health-related quality of life, participation in home, school, and community settings, and motivation in children undergoing or recently completing cancer treatment.

Conditions

Pediatric Cancer; Rehabilitation

Keywords

Pediatric Cancer; Dance Therapy; Telerehabilitation; Physiotherapy; Motor Proficiency; Quality of Life; Participation; Motivation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer Module

  The PedsQL Cancer Module is a validated instrument designed to assess health-related quality of life in children with cancer. Both child self-report and parent proxy-report forms will be used, as appropriate for age. The scale consists of 26 items across eight domains: pain, nausea, procedural anxiety, treatment anxiety, worry, cognitive problems, perceived physical appearance, and communication. Items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale and transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.

  Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period

• Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition - Short Form (BOT-2 SF)

  The BOT-2 SF is a norm-referenced assessment of fine and gross motor proficiency for children aged 4-21 years. The short form consists of 14 items derived from the full version and evaluates fine manual control, manual coordination, body coordination, strength, and agility. Raw scores will be converted to standard scores and percentiles according to age norms. Higher scores indicate better motor performance.

  Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Pediatric Motivation Scale (PMOT)

  Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period

• Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY)

  Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period

Study Arms (3)

Experimental: Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants allocated to the experimental group will receive dance therapy delivered via WhatsApp Messenger video calls.

Other: Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Program

Active Comparator: Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will receive a conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation program delivered face-to-face.

Other: Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group

No Intervention Comparator: Usual Care Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group will continue their usual daily activities and will not receive any structured physiotherapy or rehabilitation intervention during the 8-week study period. After completion of the study assessments, participants in this group will be offered the standard physiotherapy program.

Interventions

Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Program OTHER

The intervention will be conducted twice weekly for 8 weeks, with each session lasting 35-40 minutes. The program will include structured rhythmic movements, coordination exercises, balance activities, and creative movement components designed to improve fine and gross motor proficiency, body awareness, and participation.

Experimental: Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Group

Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group OTHER

The program will be conducted twice weekly for 8 weeks. The standard physiotherapy program will consist of: Strengthening exercises Flexibility exercises Balance training Gait training Coordination exercises Each session will last approximately 35-40 minutes.

Active Comparator: Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 14 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children aged 6-14 years diagnosed with a hematological malignancy or solid tumor by a pediatric oncology specialist.
• Currently undergoing treatment or within 6 months after completion of treatment (for hematological malignancies: during maintenance therapy or ≤6 months post-treatment; for solid tumors: during treatment or ≤6 months post-treatment).
• Medically stable and cleared by the treating clinical team to participate in moderate physical activity/dance therapy.
• Able to stand independently and perform movements without assistive devices.
• Access to a digital device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) equipped with a camera, audio capability, and a stable internet connection.
• Parent/guardian able to read and write in Turkish.
• Written informed consent from the parent/guardian and assent from the child (as appropriate for age).

You may not qualify if:

• Pre-existing genetic, neurological, developmental, or motor disorders diagnosed prior to cancer diagnosis that may affect motor performance.
• Medical contraindications to exercise (e.g., unresolved fractures, severe avascular necrosis, recent bone marrow transplantation, or other conditions restricting physical activity as determined by the treating physician).
• Inability to maintain stable internet connectivity required for telerehabilitation sessions.
• Previous structured dance therapy participation within the last 6 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Akdeniz University: lead
• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Akdeniz University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Antalya, 07100, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (9)

• Tortora S. Children Are Born to Dance! Pediatric Medical Dance/Movement Therapy: The View from Integrative Pediatric Oncology. Children (Basel). 2019 Jan 21;6(1):14. doi: 10.3390/children6010014.

  PMID: 30669668 BACKGROUND

• Melesse TG, Chau JPC, Nan MA. Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on health outcomes of children with cancer: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2022 Nov;31(6):e13695. doi: 10.1111/ecc.13695. Epub 2022 Aug 25.

  PMID: 36004749 BACKGROUND

• Madden JR, Mowry P, Gao D, Cullen PM, Foreman NK. Creative arts therapy improves quality of life for pediatric brain tumor patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2010 May-Jun;27(3):133-45. doi: 10.1177/1043454209355452.

  PMID: 20386062 BACKGROUND

• Lambert G, Alos N, Bernier P, Laverdiere C, Drummond K, Dahan-Oliel N, Lemay M, Veilleux LN, Kairy D. Patient and Parent Experiences with Group Telerehabilitation for Child Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 31;18(7):3610. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073610.

  PMID: 33807179 BACKGROUND

• Ozdemir Koyu H, Kilicarslan Toruner E. The effect of technology-based interventions on child and parent outcomes in pediatric oncology: A systemic review of experimental evidence. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2023 Mar 30;10(5):100219. doi: 10.1016/j.apjon.2023.100219. eCollection 2023 May.

  PMID: 37168318 BACKGROUND

• Abu-Odah H, Wang M, Su JJ, Collard-Stokes G, Sheffield D, Molassiotis A. Effectiveness of dance movement therapy and dance movement interventions on cancer patients' health-related outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Mar 19;32(4):235. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08431-4.

  PMID: 38502260 BACKGROUND

• Henry J, Leprince T, Garcia Robles S, Famery A, Boyle H, Gilis L, Witz C, Barland JC, Blay JY, Marec-Berard P. Qualitative, Exploratory, and Multidimensional Study of Telepresence Robots for Overcoming Social Isolation of Children and Adolescents Hospitalized in Onco-Hematology. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2020 Feb;9(1):90-95. doi: 10.1089/jayao.2019.0059. Epub 2019 Oct 30.

  PMID: 31663803 BACKGROUND

• Grimshaw SL, Taylor NF, Mechinaud F, Conyers R, Shields N. Physical activity for children undergoing acute cancer treatment: A qualitative study of parental perspectives. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2020 Jun;67(6):e28264. doi: 10.1002/pbc.28264. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

  PMID: 32277806 BACKGROUND

• Camden C, Silva M. Pediatric Teleheath: Opportunities Created by the COVID-19 and Suggestions to Sustain Its Use to Support Families of Children with Disabilities. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2021;41(1):1-17. doi: 10.1080/01942638.2020.1825032. Epub 2020 Oct 6.

  PMID: 33023352 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms

Central Study Contacts

Ozgun Kaya Kara, Assoc. Prof

CONTACT

+90 0242 310 66 13; ozgunkara@akdeniz.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 13, 2026
• First Posted: May 19, 2026
• Study Start: May 16, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 16, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)