Face Perception vs. Memory Training to Improve Face Recognition in Developmental Prosopagnosia

NCT ID: NCT05800782

Last Updated: 2024-01-12

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

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

72 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-10-15

Study Completion Date

2025-02-21

Brief Summary

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The goal of this study is to test the effectiveness of two experimental training programs aimed at improving face processing in developmental prosopagnosia (perception training, memory training) in comparison to an active control. The investigators will use a longitudinal design and randomize developmental prosopagnosics to three parallel arms: active control, perception training and memory training.

Detailed Description

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The investigators propose a longitudinal design with three parallel arms: active control, perception training and memory training. To maximize power, developmental prosopagnosics (DPs) in the active control group will be subsequently be offered training. Pre-training/control assessments will be performed and within 2 weeks, DPs will be randomized to one of the three training conditions. Next, all DPs will complete 6-weeks of their assigned intervention. The research assistant will provide coaching at least once per week. DPs will be assessed within two weeks of training completion and after a 12-week no-contact period. For those in the active control group, the no-contact period will serve to wash out any placebo effect and Assessment 3 will be used as their new baseline. These DPs will then be randomized to perception or memory training. Assessments will then be given to these DPs within a week after intervention completion and after a 12 weeks no-contact period.

Conditions

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Developmental Prosopagnosia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

There will be a pre assessment, 6 weeks of training/active control, then an immediate post assessment, and finally an assessment after a 12-week no-contact period
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants
Participants will not be told whether they are in the experimental or control conditions and all conditions will require discriminating faces.

Study Groups

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Memory Training

Participants will perform 6 weeks of face memory training (5 x 40 min sessions/week) that targets enhancing encoding to improve face recollection. As training progresses, the repetition lags (spaces between repeated foil faces) and number of faces will increase.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Face Memory Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Computer-based training using faces targeting face memory

Perception Training

Participants will perform 6 weeks of face perception training (5 x 40 min sessions/week) that require discriminating faces based on internal features (e.g., eyebrow-eye distance). As training progresses, the faces will become more challenging and the face sizes will vary.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Face Perception Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Computer-based training using faces targeting improving face perception

Active Control Training

Participants will perform 6 weeks of face perception training (5 x 40 min sessions/week) that require discriminating faces based on external facial features (e.g., hair). As training progresses, the faces will become more challenging and the face sizes will vary.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo control training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Computer-based training using faces not targeting improving face perception or memory

Interventions

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Face Memory Training

Computer-based training using faces targeting face memory

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Face Perception Training

Computer-based training using faces targeting improving face perception

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Placebo control training

Computer-based training using faces not targeting improving face perception or memory

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Aged 18-90
* Have lifelong histories of face recognition difficulties that impact everyday life (i.e., not associated with some event such as a stroke, seizure, etc)
* Score \> 2 standard deviations below the mean on the famous faces test and Cambridge Face Memory Test. This is in line with our previous studies and others in the literature.

Exclusion Criteria

* History of a significant neurological disorder including hydrocephalus, stroke, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), severe neuromuscular diseases, or severe hypoxia due to cardiac arrest.
* Participants with a history of mild TBI or simple concussion will not be excluded as long as it was \> 6 months ago and as long as they have not had repeated concussions (\>5).
* Participants will be excluded if they have impairments that interfere with cognitive performance, such as uncorrected hearing or vision, lack of English proficiency, musculoskeletal or other issues.
* Additionally, participants will be excluded if they have psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, chronic intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder, or agoraphobia.
* Participants with a diagnosis of ADHD will be included as long as their medication has been consistent for the past 6 months.
* Participants who are currently dependent on alcohol or other substances will be excluded, as this may negatively impact cognitive performance.
* Participants who currently are, or within the last 6 months, participating in a behavioral or pharmacological intervention will be excluded.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

90 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Boston VA Research Institute, Inc.

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Joseph DeGutis, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Harvard Medical School/VA Boston Healthcare Systems

Locations

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VA Boston Healthcare System

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Joseph DeGutis, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

510-734-7705

Facility Contacts

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Joseph M DeGutis, Ph.D.

Role: primary

510-734-7705

Other Identifiers

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R01EY032510-02

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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