Efficacy of an Early Rhythmic Intervention in Infancy

NCT ID: NCT04755309

Last Updated: 2025-02-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

125 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-02-01

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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The present project develops from a wide research line aiming at identifying very early electrophysiological risk markers for neurodevelopmental disorders. Long-term goals of the study include the characterization of language/learning developmental trajectories in children at high risk for language disorders and the implementation of ecological interventions based on enriched auditory experience to be employed to these children in an attempt to modify their atypical developmental trajectory before the emergence and crystallization of any behavioural symptoms and within the early period of known maximum cerebral plasticity.

Specifically, the main aim of this study is the development and implementation of an innovative and ecological early intervention based on environmental auditory enrichment (labelled "rhythmic intervention"). This intervention is tested both on a sample of typically developing infants and on a sample of infants at high familial risk for language disorders during a time span between 7 and 9 months of age. The efficacy of the intervention is tested on the electrophysiological markers tested before and after the intervention activities and on the linguistic outcomes within a longitudinal approach. The efficacy of such an intervention is compared to the spontaneous development observed in comparable groups of infants with and without familial risk for language disorders. In addition, only in a group of typically developing infants, a control intervention providing passive exposure to the same auditory stimulation is tested, in order to verify the specific contribution of the active participation of the children to the intervention.

The investigators hypothesize that the rhythmic intervention may modify the electrophysiological markers underlying auditory processing and the linguistic skills of all children, with a larger increase in infants at familial risk for language disorders who are specifically impaired in such skills.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Language Development Language Development Disorders Infant Development Intervention

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Typical development infants - experimental

Children without familial risk for language disorders, who participate to the rhythmic intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Rhythmic intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The rhythmic intervention consists in an ecological and non-invasive intervention based on enriched auditory and musical active experience. It is based on the most recent scientific evidence in the field and provides exposure to and active synchronization with complex musical rhythms. It is thought to promote the infant's ability to recognize and process the complex rhythms of spoken language. Importantly, it taps into and empowers early auditory processing skills. The intervention includes several tasks described in the literature, for example tapping and bouncing at the beat of complex musical rhythms.

The intervention takes place in small groups of infant-caregiver pairs (N=4/5) for 1 hour/week for 6 weeks.

Typical development infants - spontaneous development

No intervention is provided and typical development in children without familial risk for language disorders is evaluated.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Typical development infants - control

Children without familial risk for language disorders, who are exposed to passive auditory stimulation.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Passive auditory stimulation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The same auditory stimulation is provided to infants, but no active tasks are proposed. Children and caregiver are entertained with motor and cognitive tasks not related to the auditory stimuli presented. The intervention takes place in small groups of infant-caregiver pairs (N=4/5) for 1 hour/week for 6 weeks.

Infants at familial risk - experimental

Children with familial risk for language disorders, who participate to the rhythmic intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Rhythmic intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The rhythmic intervention consists in an ecological and non-invasive intervention based on enriched auditory and musical active experience. It is based on the most recent scientific evidence in the field and provides exposure to and active synchronization with complex musical rhythms. It is thought to promote the infant's ability to recognize and process the complex rhythms of spoken language. Importantly, it taps into and empowers early auditory processing skills. The intervention includes several tasks described in the literature, for example tapping and bouncing at the beat of complex musical rhythms.

The intervention takes place in small groups of infant-caregiver pairs (N=4/5) for 1 hour/week for 6 weeks.

Infants at familial risk - spontaneous development

No intervention is provided and typical development in children without familial risk for language disorders is evaluated.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Rhythmic intervention

The rhythmic intervention consists in an ecological and non-invasive intervention based on enriched auditory and musical active experience. It is based on the most recent scientific evidence in the field and provides exposure to and active synchronization with complex musical rhythms. It is thought to promote the infant's ability to recognize and process the complex rhythms of spoken language. Importantly, it taps into and empowers early auditory processing skills. The intervention includes several tasks described in the literature, for example tapping and bouncing at the beat of complex musical rhythms.

The intervention takes place in small groups of infant-caregiver pairs (N=4/5) for 1 hour/week for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Passive auditory stimulation

The same auditory stimulation is provided to infants, but no active tasks are proposed. Children and caregiver are entertained with motor and cognitive tasks not related to the auditory stimuli presented. The intervention takes place in small groups of infant-caregiver pairs (N=4/5) for 1 hour/week for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Healthy infants aged between 6 and 9 months
* Infants with and without familial risk for language disorders (Infants are assigned to the group with familial risk for language disorders if at least one first-degree relative had a certified (clinical) diagnosis of language and/or learning disorders.
* Both parents are native-Italian speakers

Exclusion Criteria

* Gestational age \< 37 weeks and/or birth-weight \< 2500 grams
* APGAR scores at birth at 1' and 5' \< 7
* Bayley Cognitive Score \< 7
* Presence of certified diagnosis of intellectual deficiency, attention-deficit disorder, sensorial and neurological disorders or autism within first-degree relatives.
Minimum Eligible Age

6 Months

Maximum Eligible Age

9 Months

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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IRCCS Eugenio Medea

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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IRCCS Eugenio Medea

Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy

Site Status

Countries

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Italy

Other Identifiers

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629

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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