Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy ProgramStandard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group
Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Program: 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.
Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group: 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.
Study 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.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
6 Years
Max age
14 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* 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).
Exclusion Criteria:
* 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.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer Module — Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period 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.
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition - Short Form (BOT-2 SF) — Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period 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.
Trial sites (1)
Facility
City
Region
Status
Akdeniz University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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