Effects of Tool Handling on Language Processing

Analysis of the Effect of a Tool-Handling Intervention in a Specific Context on the Linguistic Processing of Healthy Young Adults

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of a context-specific tool-handling intervention on linguistic processing in healthy young adults. Participants will be allocated into three groups: a dexterous tool-use training group, a dexterous manual training group without tools, and a Control group.

The dexterous tool-use training group will perform a task-oriented activity involving the use of tweezers to place colored beads into a mandala within a specific functional context. The intervention requires sequential motor planning, force control, precision, and goal-directed tool use. The dexterous manual training group without tools will perform a similar bead-placement activity without tool use, involving direct hand manipulation and lower task complexity. Both intervention groups will participate in synchronous online sessions via Google Meet for 20 minutes per day, five times per week, over a two-week period.

The Control group will not receive any structured intervention and will instead be instructed to perform one activity of daily living using the non-dominant upper limb once per day during the two-week period.

Linguistic processing will be assessed through a sentence judgment task involving sentences with and without semantic violations, in which participants will classify the sentences as correct or incorrect while electroencephalographic activity (EEG) is recorded. Additionally, sleep quality and manual dexterity will also be evaluated.

The findings of this study may contribute to understanding the relationship between tool-related motor training and linguistic processing, particularly the interaction between motor and language systems in healthy young adults. Additionally, the study may provide evidence regarding neurophysiological changes associated with context-specific motor interventions.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Young Adults
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Dexterous tool-use training; Behavioral: Dexterous manual training group without tools (Online); Behavioral: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Aline Pagnussat, PhD; Phone Number: +55 51 3303-8912; Email: alinesp@ufcspa.edu.br

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • Rio Grande do Sul
    • Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 90050170
      • UFCSPA
      • Contact: Thainara Cruz da Rosa, MsC; Phone Number: +55 51 991591680; Email: thainaracruzr@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy young adults aged between 19 and 24 years;
• Right-handed individuals.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous diagnosis of neurological and/or psychiatric disorders;
• History of traumatic brain injury;
• Use of psychoactive substances or medications that may affect cognitive functioning;
• Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control	Behavioral: Control; Participants allocated to the control group will not receive structured training. They will be instructed to perform one activity of daily living using the non-dominant upper limb once per day during the two-week study period.
Experimental: Dexterous tool-use training	Behavioral: Dexterous tool-use training; The intervention will be supervised by a researcher through assynchronous way. Participants will perform a task-oriented activity involving the use of tweezers to place colored beads into a mandala within a functional and goal-directed context.
Active Comparator: Dexterous manual training group without tools	Behavioral: Dexterous manual training group without tools (Online); The intervention will be supervised by a researcher through assynchronous way. Participants will perform a bead-placement activity directly with their hands, without the use of tools.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of Synthatic Processing Performance - Reaction time	Linguistic processing will be evaluated through a computerized sentence judgment task composed of 60 sentences containing grammatical agreement violations and control sentences. Reaction time will be measured as the time elapsed between the presentation of each sentence and the participant's button press indicating whether the sentence is grammatically correct or incorrect. Mean reaction time across trials will be reported in milliseconds (ms).	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
Assessment of Synthatic Processing Performance - Accuracy	Linguistic processing will be evaluated through a computerized sentence judgment task composed of 60 sentences containing grammatical agreement violations and control sentences. Accuracy will be assessed as the absolute number of correct responses. The absolute number of incorrect responses (errors) will also be recorded.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
N200 Event-Related Potential Mean Amplitude	Event-related potentials (ERPs) will be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) during a computerized linguistic judgment task involving sentences with and without gender and number agreement violations. The mean amplitude of the N200 component will be measured within the predefined time window and electrodes of interest.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
P300 Event-Related Potential Mean Amplitude	Event-related potentials (ERPs) will be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) during a computerized linguistic judgment task involving sentences with and without gender and number agreement violations. The mean amplitude of the P300 component will be measured within the predefined time window and electrodes of interest.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
N200 Event-Related Potential Peak Latency	Event-related potentials (ERPs) will be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) during a computerized linguistic judgment task involving sentences with and without gender and number agreement violations. The peak latency of the N200 component will be measured within the predefined time window and electrodes of interest.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
P300 Event-Related Potential Peak latency	Event-related potentials (ERPs) will be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) during a computerized linguistic judgment task involving sentences with and without gender and number agreement violations. The peaky latency of the P300 component will be measured within the predefined time window and electrodes of interest.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
Assessment of Syntactic Production - Hierarchical Embedding in Spontaneous Discourse	Syntactic production will be assessed through a spontaneous discourse task using the "Picnic Scene" from the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Speech samples will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the NILC-Metrix platform. Hierarchical embedding will be quantified as an index of syntactic complexity.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
Assessment of Syntactic Production - Clauses per Sentence in Spontaneous Discourse	Syntactic production will be assessed through a spontaneous discourse task using the "Picnic Scene" from the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Speech samples will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the NILC-Metrix platform. Clauses per sentence will be calculated as a measure of syntactic complexity.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
Assessment of Syntactic Production - Left-Branching Load (Frazier Index) in Spontaneous Discourse	SSyntactic production will be assessed through a spontaneous discourse task using the "Picnic Scene" from the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Speech samples will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the NILC-Metrix platform. Left-branching load will be quantified using the Frazier Index.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)
Manual dexterity	Manual dexterity, visuomotor coordination, and executive functioning will be assessed using the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT). Participants will insert grooved pegs into a board as quickly as possible using both dominant and non-dominant hands. Completion time (in seconds) will be recorded for each hand.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of Sleep Quality	Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The questionnaire evaluates subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction. Total scores range from 0 to 21, with scores above 5 indicating poor sleep quality.	Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 31, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 15, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 15, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: language; manual dexterity; tool
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Communication; Language
• Other Study ID Numbers: TOOLANG

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: No plan to share individual participant data (IPD). Data will not be shared due to ethical and confidentiality considerations related to participant privacy and the terms of informed consent.

Drug and device information, study documents

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