Working Memory Training for Children With Dyslexia

April 25, 2016 updated by: Sorlandet Hospital HF

Computerized Working Memory Training for Children With Dyslexia

The main aim of this interventional study is to investigate whether the effects of computerized working memory training improves reading abilities for children, i.e. ages 9 - 16 years, diagnosed with dyslexia.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills. It is characterized by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual's other cognitive abilities. Phonological processing deficit is well established as one of the main causes of dyslexia. Working memory (WM) is today considered to be a cognitive system that strongly relates to a person's ability to think and learn. Over the last decade an increasing body of evidence indicates that WM deficits may cause particular problems for individuals with dyslexia. This is consistent with many of the every day problems reported by dyslexics and those around them. WM deficits are frequent in children with reading deficits. A major question is whether the WM impairment is secondary to phonological core deficit affecting the phonological loop only, or caused by an additional deficit involving central executive. Exploratory findings from fMRI studies indicates that impaired WM processes in dyslexia have a unique neuronal signature which may be associated with central executive processes. However there are conflicting findings and further studies are needed.

The children in the study, all diagnosed with dyslexia, will be divided into two subgroups (16/16 children). They are randomly allocated to either the adaptive training group or the treatment as usual control group after the baseline assessment. Both groups will meet for baseline testing and re-testing 4 weeks after completed training. Those that serve as non-trained controls will be offered to participate in training after completion of the study.

The intervention in this study aim to increase WM of children with dyslexia. We hypothesise that intensive computerized working memory training will improve reading fluency, speed and comprehension for children with dyslexia.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

32

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Norway
    • Aust-Agder
      • Arendal, Aust-Agder, Norway, 4801
        • Sorlandet hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

9 years to 16 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Dyslexia

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Mental retardation (IQ below 70)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Working Memory Training
Behavioral: Cogmed RM working memory training. After baseline assessment participants will be randomized to active training or treatment as usual (waiting). The active group will start immediately and will have 6 weeks to perform the 25 training sessions.
Behavioral: Working memory Training

The child will use the computer program at home under parental supervision for 25 sessions, each lasting 30 - 45 minutes and the family has 6 weeks to complete the training. Each session consist 8 different tasks presented by an animated robot. The tasks all require the child to hold information in working memory and to manipulate the information.

Other name: Cogmed RoboMemo
No Intervention: Passive control group
The control group will receive "treatment as usual" (Ordinary school days, special education if normally received).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reading fluency, comprehension and speed
Time Frame: Change from Baseline assessment to follow-up testing in 14 weeks
LOGOS (http://www.logos-test.no) is a standardized Norwegian computerized test for reading processes. 6 subtest; reading fluency, reading comprehension, word recognition, phonological reading, orthographic reading, rapid naming of common objects
Change from Baseline assessment to follow-up testing in 14 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Working Memory Capacity
Time Frame: Change from Baseline assessment to follow-up testing in 14 week
WISC-IV: The sum of letter-number sequences and Digit Span, WMS-III Spatial Span, Språk 6-16 (Standardized Norwegian Screening-test for Language Impairment (Ottem &frost, 2011)Subtest: Sentence memory
Change from Baseline assessment to follow-up testing in 14 week

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Executive function
Time Frame: Before and after training period of 5 weeks
The ADHD Rating Scale-IV
Before and after training period of 5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sorlandet Hospital HF

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Gro CC Lohaugen, Phd, Sorlandet Hospital HF

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

October 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 24, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 24, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

April 29, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

April 26, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 25, 2016

Last Verified

April 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Sorlandet Hospital 2014/1057

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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