Study Results
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Basic Information
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RECRUITING
NA
1140 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-04-14
2027-03-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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The present study investigates the mechanisms of Perceptual Learning (PL), with a focus on training task characteristics that induce generalizable enhancements in visual performance (i.e., that produce benefits on tasks beyond just the trained task, as this is critical for training to have translational value). To achieve this, the investigators target PL of spatial vision in human subjects, which is the most common target of PL in basic science research.
The investigators run a large number of participants across 12 separate conditions thought to mediate effects of PL (e.g., training with flanking stimuli, use of noise, manipulating difficulty during training, multisensory facilitation with sound, training with a diversity of stimuli, and cueing attention during training) using common outcome measures, and analyze both the effect of training condition and individual differences that impact learning. A novel crossover design is used to train participants in the younger cohort sequentially on two tasks and examine learning and generalization to determine which methods involve redundant or independent processes. It is noted that the first phase of training is the primary clinical trial and that the crossover is to address a mechanistic question regarding interactions of different training types. It is hypothesized that training with mostly difficult, precise stimuli will give rise to less generalization than training with easy, imprecise stimuli after sequential double training.
The investigators also specifically examine biological variables, such as sex and age, in addition to personality traits, sleep habits, motivation, and individual differences in baseline performance to gain a more complete understanding of how these factors may moderate outcomes of PL (including generalization to more real-world contexts, such as reading). It is hypothesized that a number of individual differences, both cognitive and personality based, will predict PL outcomes.
Participants in the younger cohort will be randomized to 1 of 12 arms, with each arm consisting of two conditions (of twelve possible conditions) that participants undergo sequentially. Participants in the older adult cohort will be randomized to 1 of 5 arms, with each arm consisting of a single condition.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
BASIC_SCIENCE
DOUBLE
Study Groups
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C3 - Short Staircases (SS)
Participants in younger cohort will complete SS training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either SS, SPL, or NCC.
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
C3 - Short Staircases (SS)
Will be largely the same as SPL with the only difference being a change to the adaptive procedure. SS will use so-called "short-staircases," which are initialized at 60% contrast with steps of .05 log units and employs a 3/1 staircase that after every 40 trials is reset (the "short" in "short-staircases") back to 60% contrast.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C4 - Mixed Difficulty (MD)
Participants in younger cohort will complete MD training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either MD, SPL, or NCC.
C4 - Mixed Difficulty (MD)
This condition will be identical to SPL with the exception that two staircases - one a 2/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 60-70% accuracy, the other a 4/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 85-95% accuracy - will be utilized to control the stimuli.
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C5 - Noise Training (NT)
Participants in younger cohort will complete NT training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either NT, SPL, or NCC.
C5 - Noise Training (NT)
The NT condition will be the same as SPL with the exception that contrast thresholds will be estimated in 5-different levels of external noise (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%).
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C6 - Training with Flankers (TWF
Participants in younger cohort will complete TWF training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete eitherTWF, SPL, or NCC.
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
C6 - Training with Flankers (TWF)
TWF will be reasonably different from the standard SPL task. Here, on 50% of trials a target Gabor will be presented at either 45° or 135° (as in SPL) and will be flanked by two collinear Gabors. On the remaining 50% of trials, flankers will be present without a target. TWF is thus a yes/no detection task, which is necessary since the collinear flankers fully indicate the target orientation. In different 20-trial mini-blocks the flankers will appear either lambda, 1.5 lambda, or 2 lambda from the target (i.e., closer or further from the target) and target contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase separately for each spacing.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
Participants in younger cohort will complete PT training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either PT, SV, CF, ExAT, EnAT, MF, or NCC.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C8 - Stimulus Variety (SV)
The base task for SV is the PT condition. However, SV employ 20 trial mini-blocks of different SFs (.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 cpd) and locations (45°, 135°, 225°, 315° - i.e., more locations than PT, but not the full set tested in the transfer battery) with separate staircases for each SF and location. Orientations will also be drawn from a larger set (22.5°, 45°, 67.5° - for which participants respond "clockwise" and 112.5°, 135°, 157.5° - for which participants respond "counter-clockwise") and will vary on a trial-by-trial basis. This design holds-out 4 locations and 2 orientations to address transfer.
C8a - Complex Features (CF)
This is the same as C8, however we will use band-pass filtered stimuli similar to what has been done by a number of groups including Hussein et al.
C9 - Exogenous Attention Training (ExAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in ExAT, a 100% valid cue, a small black dot - 48ms duration with an 96ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear above the target location on each trial.
C10 - Endogenous Attention Training (EnAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in EnAT, a 100% valid cue (letter UL, LR; standing for upper left and lower right, respectively) - 150ms duration with an 500ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear at the fixation point.
C11 - Multisensory Facilitation (MF)
MF utilizes the same basic task structure as in ExEAT, however, rather than a visual cue, an auditory cue will be used (50ms, 1000hz tone with sound location determined by convolving sound with generic head-related transfer function, kemar large ears.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C8 - Stimulus Variety (SV)
Participants in younger cohort will complete SV training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either SV, PT, or NCC.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C8 - Stimulus Variety (SV)
The base task for SV is the PT condition. However, SV employ 20 trial mini-blocks of different SFs (.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 cpd) and locations (45°, 135°, 225°, 315° - i.e., more locations than PT, but not the full set tested in the transfer battery) with separate staircases for each SF and location. Orientations will also be drawn from a larger set (22.5°, 45°, 67.5° - for which participants respond "clockwise" and 112.5°, 135°, 157.5° - for which participants respond "counter-clockwise") and will vary on a trial-by-trial basis. This design holds-out 4 locations and 2 orientations to address transfer.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C8a - Complex Features (CF)
Participants in younger cohort will complete CF training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either CF, PT, NCC.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C8a - Complex Features (CF)
This is the same as C8, however we will use band-pass filtered stimuli similar to what has been done by a number of groups including Hussein et al.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C9 - Exogenous Attention Training (ExAT)
Participants in younger cohort will complete ExAT training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either ExAT, PT, NCC.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C9 - Exogenous Attention Training (ExAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in ExAT, a 100% valid cue, a small black dot - 48ms duration with an 96ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear above the target location on each trial.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C10 - Endogenous Attention Training (EnAT)
Participants in younger cohort will complete EnAT training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either EnAT, PT, NCC.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C10 - Endogenous Attention Training (EnAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in EnAT, a 100% valid cue (letter UL, LR; standing for upper left and lower right, respectively) - 150ms duration with an 500ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear at the fixation point.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C11 - Multisensory Facilitation (MF)
Participants in younger cohort will complete MF training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either MF, PT, NCC.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C11 - Multisensory Facilitation (MF)
MF utilizes the same basic task structure as in ExEAT, however, rather than a visual cue, an auditory cue will be used (50ms, 1000hz tone with sound location determined by convolving sound with generic head-related transfer function, kemar large ears.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
No Contact Control
Participants in younger cohort will complete NCC training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either SPL, LT, SS, MD, NT, TWF, PT, SV, CF, ExAT, EnAT, MF, NCC.
C4 - Mixed Difficulty (MD)
This condition will be identical to SPL with the exception that two staircases - one a 2/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 60-70% accuracy, the other a 4/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 85-95% accuracy - will be utilized to control the stimuli.
C5 - Noise Training (NT)
The NT condition will be the same as SPL with the exception that contrast thresholds will be estimated in 5-different levels of external noise (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%).
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
C2 - Long Training (LT)
Will be the same as the SPL with the exception that each session in LT will be twice as long as in SPL.
C3 - Short Staircases (SS)
Will be largely the same as SPL with the only difference being a change to the adaptive procedure. SS will use so-called "short-staircases," which are initialized at 60% contrast with steps of .05 log units and employs a 3/1 staircase that after every 40 trials is reset (the "short" in "short-staircases") back to 60% contrast.
C6 - Training with Flankers (TWF)
TWF will be reasonably different from the standard SPL task. Here, on 50% of trials a target Gabor will be presented at either 45° or 135° (as in SPL) and will be flanked by two collinear Gabors. On the remaining 50% of trials, flankers will be present without a target. TWF is thus a yes/no detection task, which is necessary since the collinear flankers fully indicate the target orientation. In different 20-trial mini-blocks the flankers will appear either lambda, 1.5 lambda, or 2 lambda from the target (i.e., closer or further from the target) and target contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase separately for each spacing.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C8 - Stimulus Variety (SV)
The base task for SV is the PT condition. However, SV employ 20 trial mini-blocks of different SFs (.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 cpd) and locations (45°, 135°, 225°, 315° - i.e., more locations than PT, but not the full set tested in the transfer battery) with separate staircases for each SF and location. Orientations will also be drawn from a larger set (22.5°, 45°, 67.5° - for which participants respond "clockwise" and 112.5°, 135°, 157.5° - for which participants respond "counter-clockwise") and will vary on a trial-by-trial basis. This design holds-out 4 locations and 2 orientations to address transfer.
C8a - Complex Features (CF)
This is the same as C8, however we will use band-pass filtered stimuli similar to what has been done by a number of groups including Hussein et al.
C9 - Exogenous Attention Training (ExAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in ExAT, a 100% valid cue, a small black dot - 48ms duration with an 96ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear above the target location on each trial.
C10 - Endogenous Attention Training (EnAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in EnAT, a 100% valid cue (letter UL, LR; standing for upper left and lower right, respectively) - 150ms duration with an 500ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear at the fixation point.
C11 - Multisensory Facilitation (MF)
MF utilizes the same basic task structure as in ExEAT, however, rather than a visual cue, an auditory cue will be used (50ms, 1000hz tone with sound location determined by convolving sound with generic head-related transfer function, kemar large ears.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
OA1 - Standard Perceptual Learning
Participants in older cohort will complete SPL condition.
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
OA2 - Noise Training
Participants in older cohort will complete NT condition.
C5 - Noise Training (NT)
The NT condition will be the same as SPL with the exception that contrast thresholds will be estimated in 5-different levels of external noise (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%).
OA3 - Training with Flankers
Participants in older cohort will complete TWF condition.
C6 - Training with Flankers (TWF)
TWF will be reasonably different from the standard SPL task. Here, on 50% of trials a target Gabor will be presented at either 45° or 135° (as in SPL) and will be flanked by two collinear Gabors. On the remaining 50% of trials, flankers will be present without a target. TWF is thus a yes/no detection task, which is necessary since the collinear flankers fully indicate the target orientation. In different 20-trial mini-blocks the flankers will appear either lambda, 1.5 lambda, or 2 lambda from the target (i.e., closer or further from the target) and target contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase separately for each spacing.
OA4 - Stimulus Variety
Participants in older cohort will complete SV condition.
C8 - Stimulus Variety (SV)
The base task for SV is the PT condition. However, SV employ 20 trial mini-blocks of different SFs (.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 cpd) and locations (45°, 135°, 225°, 315° - i.e., more locations than PT, but not the full set tested in the transfer battery) with separate staircases for each SF and location. Orientations will also be drawn from a larger set (22.5°, 45°, 67.5° - for which participants respond "clockwise" and 112.5°, 135°, 157.5° - for which participants respond "counter-clockwise") and will vary on a trial-by-trial basis. This design holds-out 4 locations and 2 orientations to address transfer.
OA5 - No Contact Control
Participants in older cohort will complete NCC condition.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Participants in younger cohort will complete SPL training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either SPL, LT, SS, MD, NT, TWF, or NCC.
C4 - Mixed Difficulty (MD)
This condition will be identical to SPL with the exception that two staircases - one a 2/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 60-70% accuracy, the other a 4/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 85-95% accuracy - will be utilized to control the stimuli.
C5 - Noise Training (NT)
The NT condition will be the same as SPL with the exception that contrast thresholds will be estimated in 5-different levels of external noise (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%).
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
C2 - Long Training (LT)
Will be the same as the SPL with the exception that each session in LT will be twice as long as in SPL.
C3 - Short Staircases (SS)
Will be largely the same as SPL with the only difference being a change to the adaptive procedure. SS will use so-called "short-staircases," which are initialized at 60% contrast with steps of .05 log units and employs a 3/1 staircase that after every 40 trials is reset (the "short" in "short-staircases") back to 60% contrast.
C6 - Training with Flankers (TWF)
TWF will be reasonably different from the standard SPL task. Here, on 50% of trials a target Gabor will be presented at either 45° or 135° (as in SPL) and will be flanked by two collinear Gabors. On the remaining 50% of trials, flankers will be present without a target. TWF is thus a yes/no detection task, which is necessary since the collinear flankers fully indicate the target orientation. In different 20-trial mini-blocks the flankers will appear either lambda, 1.5 lambda, or 2 lambda from the target (i.e., closer or further from the target) and target contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase separately for each spacing.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
C2 - Long Training (LT)
Participants in younger cohort will complete LT training during the first phase of training. In the cross-over they will then complete either LT, SPL, or NCC.
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
C2 - Long Training (LT)
Will be the same as the SPL with the exception that each session in LT will be twice as long as in SPL.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
Interventions
Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.
C4 - Mixed Difficulty (MD)
This condition will be identical to SPL with the exception that two staircases - one a 2/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 60-70% accuracy, the other a 4/1 staircase producing difficulties centered around 85-95% accuracy - will be utilized to control the stimuli.
C5 - Noise Training (NT)
The NT condition will be the same as SPL with the exception that contrast thresholds will be estimated in 5-different levels of external noise (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%).
C1 - Standard Perceptual Learning (SPL)
Each trial starts with a fixation point (500ms) after which a Gabor (1° radius, at cut-off SF of 25% accuracy, estimated from Pre-Test CSF, at either 45° or 135°) appears for 128ms. The task is to indicate whether the Gabor was tilted left or right. Gabor contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase (converging on approximately \~80% contrast threshold) across all training sessions.
C2 - Long Training (LT)
Will be the same as the SPL with the exception that each session in LT will be twice as long as in SPL.
C3 - Short Staircases (SS)
Will be largely the same as SPL with the only difference being a change to the adaptive procedure. SS will use so-called "short-staircases," which are initialized at 60% contrast with steps of .05 log units and employs a 3/1 staircase that after every 40 trials is reset (the "short" in "short-staircases") back to 60% contrast.
C6 - Training with Flankers (TWF)
TWF will be reasonably different from the standard SPL task. Here, on 50% of trials a target Gabor will be presented at either 45° or 135° (as in SPL) and will be flanked by two collinear Gabors. On the remaining 50% of trials, flankers will be present without a target. TWF is thus a yes/no detection task, which is necessary since the collinear flankers fully indicate the target orientation. In different 20-trial mini-blocks the flankers will appear either lambda, 1.5 lambda, or 2 lambda from the target (i.e., closer or further from the target) and target contrast will be controlled by a 3/1 staircase separately for each spacing.
C7 - Parafoveal Training (PT)
The PT condition is the baseline for C8-C11 (all of which involve parafoveally presented targets). In PT, we utilize the same task as in SPL, however, in PT, in addition to central training, targets will also appear in one of two peripheral locations (5° eccentricity; angles = 135° and 270°). The location of targets will be randomized trial-wise so as to discourage eye-movements and independent 3/1 staircases will be run at each location. By training only 2 peripheral locations we can measure the extent to which training gives rise to location transfer (e.g., in transfer tasks examining performance at 8 different locations - 2 trained locations and 6 untrained locations). Furthermore, training at the central location facilitates comparisons between PT and SPL.
C8 - Stimulus Variety (SV)
The base task for SV is the PT condition. However, SV employ 20 trial mini-blocks of different SFs (.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 cpd) and locations (45°, 135°, 225°, 315° - i.e., more locations than PT, but not the full set tested in the transfer battery) with separate staircases for each SF and location. Orientations will also be drawn from a larger set (22.5°, 45°, 67.5° - for which participants respond "clockwise" and 112.5°, 135°, 157.5° - for which participants respond "counter-clockwise") and will vary on a trial-by-trial basis. This design holds-out 4 locations and 2 orientations to address transfer.
C8a - Complex Features (CF)
This is the same as C8, however we will use band-pass filtered stimuli similar to what has been done by a number of groups including Hussein et al.
C9 - Exogenous Attention Training (ExAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in ExAT, a 100% valid cue, a small black dot - 48ms duration with an 96ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear above the target location on each trial.
C10 - Endogenous Attention Training (EnAT)
Stimuli will be presented in a similar manner as in PT. However, in EnAT, a 100% valid cue (letter UL, LR; standing for upper left and lower right, respectively) - 150ms duration with an 500ms SOA prior to stimulus onset - will appear at the fixation point.
C11 - Multisensory Facilitation (MF)
MF utilizes the same basic task structure as in ExEAT, however, rather than a visual cue, an auditory cue will be used (50ms, 1000hz tone with sound location determined by convolving sound with generic head-related transfer function, kemar large ears.
No Contact Control
While not a "training condition" one type of experience that could be part of a condition is a no contact control (i.e., where participants do no training activities over the same rough time span as for the other training tasks).
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* between 60 and 85 years of age (older cohort)
* Corrected vision of 20/40 or better (as assessed with an eye chart)
* No reported incidence of retinal pathology or neurological disease
Exclusion Criteria
* Evidence of retinal pathology or retinal disease
18 Years
85 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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National Eye Institute (NEI)
NIH
University of Wisconsin, Madison
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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C. Shawn Green
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Locations
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University of California
Riverside, California, United States
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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Other Identifiers
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L&S/PSYCHOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY
Identifier Type: OTHER
Identifier Source: secondary_id
2020-0138
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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