Category Learning Retention in Adults With and Without Developmental Language Disorder

Part of paid clinical trials in Newark, Delaware.

Sponsor
University of Delaware
Study ID
NCT05901493
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Adults Without Language Disorder
  • Developmental Language Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 55 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Perceptual category training — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Study Details

Approximately 7% of the population experiences developmental language disorder (DLD), a language disorder with unclear causes. DLD affects communication beyond adolescence and poses challenges for education and career advancement due to difficulties in learning and memory. Recent research suggests that adults with DLD struggle with overnight memory consolidation, indicating a need for effective learning and memory support. This project aims to determine the optimal training schedule for perceptual memory retention in adults with and without DLD. The study involves recruiting 240 adults (120 with DLD, 120 without) for speech-perceptual training with different training schedules. The researchers predict that the manipulation of training schedules will interact with circadian preference and overnight consolidation, leading to the discovery of the best practice schedule for speech sound retention. Additionally, 300 more adults (150 with DLD, 150 without) will be recruited to investigate how optimal training schedules interact with reflexive and reflective learning strategies. The time course of learning and retention will be tracked during reflexive and reflective categorization training in six different training schedules.

Key Dates

Start date
Oct 23, 2022
Status verified
May 2026
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026
Completion
Jul 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
540 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Blocked Evening Only Training
    One hour training in the evening, followed by a one hour training 24 hours later
  • Experimental: Distributed Evening Training
    One hour training in the evening, followed by a two 30 min trainings 12 and 24 hours later
  • Experimental: Blocked Evening-Morning Training
    One hour training in the evening, followed by a one hour training 12 hours later
  • Experimental: Blocked Morning Only Training
    One hour training in the morning, followed by a one hour training 24 hours later
  • Experimental: Distributed Morning Training
    One hour training in the morning, followed by a two 30 min trainings 12 and 24 hours later
  • Experimental: Blocked Morning-Evening Training
    One hour training in the morning, followed by a one hour training 12 hours later

Primary Outcome Measure

Speech discrimination - behavior [ Time Frame: 1 week ]

Central Contacts

Locations (2)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of DelawareNewarkDelaware19713
Frances S Earle, PhD
[email protected]
302-831-3878
Northeastern UniversityBostonMassachusetts02115
Zhenghan Qi, PhD
[email protected]

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By research site
University of Delaware· Newark, DENortheastern University· Boston, MA

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