Modeling and Testing Change in Mental Abilities in Childhood
Modeling and Testing Change in Mental Abilities in Childhood Through Computer-based Interventions
Children with low executive function, working memory and attention skills in childhood not only do poorly at school, but also go on to do poorly on social, health, and financial indicators in adulthood.
The rate of executive function disorders in children is vastly underestimated at 17% , even when taking into account two of the more widely known disorders of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (11%) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (6%), but children of lower socioeconomic status are especially vulnerable due to reduced resource availability.
As executive function, working memory and attention skills are central to success in later life, if children with low skills can be given targeted training to improve the skills they fall short on, there is potential to both improve their short-term academic performance, and influence long-term achievement. In fact, poor executive function skills and poor attention and working memory is a large predictor of poor performance even in typically developing children who are doing poorly academically.
Hypothesis 1. Those with lower working memory will also have lower problem solving skills and lower indices of other executive functioning skills such as reasoning/problem solving.
Hypothesis 2. Children that start with lower WM and PS will show the highest gains in training related performance, and such high gains on WM and PS will lead to better performance post-intervention compared to baseline measures of cognitive function.
Hypothesis 3: Those who make the largest gains in WM and PS with training will show more retention of training gains at 6 months compared those who show lower gains.
Aim 1. Assess working memory (WM) and processing speed (PS) skills in children and their inter-relationships with executive functioning skills Aim 2. Examine change in cognitive function in WM and PS after intensive training in WM and PS, during and immediately post-intervention Aim 3. Examine long-term retention of training effects on WM, PS, and executive functions.
The purpose of this study is to establish an effective and targeted working memory and processing speed intervention in children ages 7-10 with low to average executive function skills, by utilizing home-based computer games specifically designed to appeal to children.
Following institution approved consents, 60 low socioeconomic status children from Los Angeles will be recruited and enrolled in the study and be asked to play specific fun, but targeted cognitive computer games for 10 weeks.
The results of this pilot study will establish a protocol for feasibility of improving executive function skills in children with underdeveloped skills and inform on sufficiency of sample sizes, length of interventions, and directly impact computer-based intervention research and cost-effective techniques in children's cognitive development within the next 3-5 years.
調査の概要
状態
研究の種類
入学 (実際)
段階
- 適用できない
連絡先と場所
研究場所
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California
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Los Angeles、California、アメリカ、90089
- University of Southern California
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参加基準
適格基準
就学可能な年齢
健康ボランティアの受け入れ
受講資格のある性別
説明
Inclusion Criteria:
- Understands and speaks English
Exclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosed psychological disorder
- Head trauma with loss of consciousness of >5 minutes
研究計画
研究はどのように設計されていますか?
デザインの詳細
- 主な目的:基礎科学
- 割り当て:ランダム化
- 介入モデル:並列代入
- マスキング:ダブル
武器と介入
参加者グループ / アーム |
介入・治療 |
---|---|
実験的:Computer games to assess change in executive function skills
Children in Intervention group get to train using executive function games at more difficult levels.
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Children get access to computer games for 10 weeks for an hour each week.
他の名前:
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アクティブコンパレータ:Easy games as active comparators for executive function skills
Children in Non-intervention group get to play executive function games at an easy level.
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Children get access to computer games for 10 weeks for an hour each week.
他の名前:
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この研究は何を測定していますか?
主要な結果の測定
結果測定 |
メジャーの説明 |
時間枠 |
---|---|---|
Change in working memory skills assessed through Executive Function Battery and NIH ToolBox
時間枠:3 months
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Children will be assessed both on Executive Function Battery and the NIH Toolbox battery to examine change in working memory skills.
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3 months
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Change in processing speed skills assessed through Executive Function Battery and NIH ToolBox
時間枠:3 months
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Children will be assessed both on Executive Function Battery and the NIH Toolbox battery to examine change in processing speed skills.
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3 months
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二次結果の測定
結果測定 |
メジャーの説明 |
時間枠 |
---|---|---|
Change in school grades in science, reading and math.
時間枠:3-6 months
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Parents will be asked for children's school grades at the beginning of the study, during the study, and at the end of the study to assess the effects of the intervention
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3-6 months
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Change in parent reported behavior as assessed through BRIEF and CBCL questionnaires
時間枠:3-6 months
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Parental reports on BRIEF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) and CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) questionnaires will be used to assess change in behavior
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3-6 months
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協力者と研究者
捜査官
- 主任研究者:Prapti Gautam, PhD、University of Southern California
研究記録日
主要日程の研究
研究開始
一次修了 (実際)
研究の完了 (実際)
試験登録日
最初に提出
QC基準を満たした最初の提出物
最初の投稿 (見積もり)
学習記録の更新
投稿された最後の更新 (実際)
QC基準を満たした最後の更新が送信されました
最終確認日
詳しくは
本研究に関する用語
その他の研究ID番号
- 15-01767
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