Category Learning Retention in Adults With and Without Developmental Language Disorder

NCT ID: NCT05901493

Last Updated: 2024-06-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 540 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-10-23
• Study Completion Date: 2027-07-31

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed Description

Developmental language disorder (DLD) describes the idiopathic disorder(s) of language that occurs in approximately 7% of the population. Although DLD is understudied in adulthood, it is clear that the communication challenges in DLD extend beyond adolescence. The barriers to educational and vocational achievement for adults with DLD include persistent difficulties in learning and memory. Recent work suggests that these difficulties with learning and memory include deficits in overnight memory consolidation. Thus, an effective support for learning and memory function in adults with DLD must include strategies for both overcoming initial challenges in learning, as well as in mitigating a deficit in consolidation of learned information. In this project, the investigators combine insights from the neurobiology of learning and memory, chronobiology, and speech perception, to determine the optimal training schedule for perceptual memory retention in adults with and without DLD. The investigators have two Aims in this project: First, the investigators will recruit 240 adults (120 with/120 without DLD) to participate in a speech-perceptual training to take place in one of six different training schedules over 24 hours. The investigators predict that our manipulation of training schedules will interact with circadian preference and timing relative to overnight consolidation, to allow the discovery of the optimal practice schedule for speech sound retention for adult learners with & without DLD. Under our second aim, the investigators will recruit an additional 300 adults (150 with/150 without DLD) in order to determine how optimal training schedules interact with reflexive and reflective learning strategies in adults with and without DLD. The investigators will achieve this aim by tracking the time course of learning and retention in adults participating in reflexive and reflective categorization training in one of six training schedules.

Conditions

Developmental Language Disorder; Adults Without Language Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Blocked Evening Only Training

One hour training in the evening, followed by a one hour training 24 hours later

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Perceptual category training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Distributed Evening Training

One hour training in the evening, followed by a two 30 min trainings 12 and 24 hours later

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Perceptual category training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Blocked Evening-Morning Training

One hour training in the evening, followed by a one hour training 12 hours later

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Perceptual category training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Blocked Morning Only Training

One hour training in the morning, followed by a one hour training 24 hours later

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Perceptual category training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Distributed Morning Training

One hour training in the morning, followed by a two 30 min trainings 12 and 24 hours later

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Perceptual category training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Blocked Morning-Evening Training

One hour training in the morning, followed by a one hour training 12 hours later

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Perceptual category training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Interventions

Perceptual category training

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• native speakers of American English
• Grew up in a household in which only American English was spoken
• 18-55 years of age
• Typical vision & hearing
• (Aim 2) access to headphones/devices capable of accessing experiment script via internet
• Must meet criteria for Group membership as either TD or DLD

Exclusion Criteria

• History of neurological disorders
• History of psychiatric disorders
• History of socio-emotional disorders
• On prescription medication(s) that alter sleep

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 55 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Northeastern University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Delaware

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Frances Earle, PhD

Role: CONTACT

fsearle@udel.edu

6468128376

Facility Contacts

Frances S Earle, PhD

Role: primary

fsearle@udel.edu

302-831-3878

Zhenghan Qi, PhD

Role: primary

z.qi@northeastern.edu

Other Identifiers

1938428

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id