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

Examining the Effectiveness of Face Perception and Memory Training to Improve Face Recognition in Developmental Prosopagnosia

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Developmental Prosopagnosia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Face Memory Training; Behavioral: Face Perception Training; Behavioral: Placebo control training

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 72
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Joseph DeGutis, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 510-734-7705; Email: degutis@wjh.harvard.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02130
      • Recruiting
      • VA Boston Healthcare System
      • Contact: Joseph M DeGutis, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 510-734-7705; Email: degutis@wjh.harvard.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 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.	Behavioral: Face Memory Training; Computer-based training using faces targeting face memory
Active Comparator: 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.	Behavioral: Face Perception Training; Computer-based training using faces targeting improving face perception
Placebo Comparator: 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.	Behavioral: Placebo control training; Computer-based training using faces not targeting improving face perception or memory

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Cambridge Face Memory Test from baseline to post-training	unfamiliar face learning/memory test, Cambridge Face Memory Test, minimum=0/maximum=72, higher is better performance	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline), 12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)
Change in Face Perception from baseline to post-training	computerized Benton Face Recognition Test, minimum=0/maximum=54, higher is better performance	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline), 12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Face Recollection from baseline to post-training	face recollection measure derived from old/new unfamiliar face recognition test	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline), 12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)
Change in Self-reported face recognition ability from baseline to post-training	items assessing everyday face recognition, minimum=0/maximum=100, higher is better	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline),12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)
Change in Eye processing ability from baseline to post-training	average eye processing ability from Georges task	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline), 12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)
Change in Holistic processing from baseline to post-training	measure of holistic processing of faces (holistic advantage) from part-whole task	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline), 12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)
Change in NIH PROMIS Social functioning self-report from baseline to post-training	bank of NIH PROMIS items asking about social functioning related to prosopagnosia, minimum=0/maximum=100, higher is better	baseline, within 2 weeks post-training (approximately 10 weeks after baseline), 12 weeks after training ends (approximately 22 weeks after baseline)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston VA Research Institute, Inc.
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joseph DeGutis, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School/VA Boston Healthcare Systems

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 15, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 21, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 21, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 4, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): April 6, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2024
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Perceptual Disorders; Agnosia; Prosopagnosia
• Other Study ID Numbers: R01EY032510-02 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data will be made available to other researchers in accordance with the VA Boston Healthcare System IRB and Privacy/Security policies
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Once the VA Boston Healthcare System IRB approves sharing this information
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The VA Boston Healthcare System IRB will also establish access criteria
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: ANALYTIC_CODE; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No