Outpatient rehab improves function in children with brain tumours, but long-term effects unclear

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Frontiers in Medicine Published June 2, 2026 Medically reviewed June 2, 2026 DOI ↗ By Dr. Ji-eun Park, MD · Brain, Mind & Pain

Key Takeaway

Consider outpatient rehab for functional gains in children with brain tumours, but long-term benefits are uncertain.

This systematic review examined 8 papers on outpatient rehabilitation interventions for children and young adults with brain tumours. The primary outcomes were functional, psychological, and quality of life (QoL) measures, with secondary outcomes including social, cognitive, and sleep disturbance.

Functional outcomes showed significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05), but effect sizes and absolute numbers were not reported. Psychological outcomes, QoL, and social outcomes had varying effects, while cognitive outcomes did not show significant improvements. No adverse events or safety data were reported.

The authors noted that clear conclusions about long-term effectiveness cannot be made due to the limited evidence and need for further research with longer follow-up. The review highlights that better research could help develop health-system-level interventions to improve function, perceived wellbeing, and QoL in this population.

Clinicians should interpret these findings cautiously, as the evidence base is small and heterogeneous, and long-term benefits remain unproven.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJun 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

IntroductionBrain tumours are a commonly diagnosed solid cancer in children and young adults. Many survivors experience long-term complications. We conducted a systematic review to assess the effectiveness of outpatient rehabilitation interventions in reducing long-term complications following childhood brain tumours.Materials and methodsThree databases were searched to November 2024. Two reviewers independently screened studies, assessed quality, and extracted data. Outcomes were categorised as primary [functional, psychological and Quality of Life (QoL)] and secondary (social, cognitive and sleep disturbance).ResultsEight papers were included. Most studies evaluated physical therapy interventions, assessing changes in functional outcomes, which were associated with the greatest proportion of significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05). Varying effects were seen for psychological, QoL, and social outcomes. Cognitive outcomes did not show significant improvements following cognitive, academic and exercise-based interventions.DiscussionAlthough studies reported positive functional, psychological, QoL and social outcomes, following various interventions, clear conclusions of the long-term effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions cannot be made. Further research is needed with longer-term follow-up, so effective rehabilitation strategies can be determined for this population. Better research could help develop interventions at a health-system level that could improve function, perceived wellbeing, and QoL of children and young people with brain tumours.