Dyslexia

Researchers are evaluating a new tablet game-based tool designed to assess neurodevelopment in young children aged 3 to 8 years. This study aims to determine if the game can accurately distinguish between typically developing children and those with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disorder, or Communication Disorder. It also seeks to assess how valid and reliable the game-based assessment is for evaluating a child's neuropsychological functions. Participants will complete the tablet game-based assessment, which evaluates attention, memory, language, motor skills, executive functions, and social-emotional abilities. Parents or caregivers will fill out a demographic questionnaire and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3), to provide additional developmental information. Some children may be asked to repeat the game assessment about two weeks later to check the consistency and validity of the tool. Children's involvement includes playing the game-based assessment and having their caregivers complete questionnaires about their development and background. The study will measure diagnostic accuracy, validity, internal consistency, predictive validity, and safety of the assessment over a period of 16 months. Researchers will also collect preliminary normative data, evaluate the acceptability of the tool, and assess test-retest reliability to ensure the assessment's usefulness and safety throughout the study.

This research aims to evaluate the feasibility of a parent-child yoga intervention designed to reduce attention deficits in children aged 4 to 6 years with congenital heart disease (CHD). Children with CHD often face neurodevelopmental challenges, including a higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study is a preliminary step before conducting a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of this intervention in improving attention and long-term academic and psychosocial outcomes for these children and their families. The study is a single-blind, two-center, two-arm randomized feasibility trial involving 24 parent-child pairs. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to either an 8-week parent-child yoga program plus standard clinical care or standard clinical care alone with a waitlist option for yoga after the study. The yoga sessions last 45 minutes each week and include active and calming parts embedded in stories suitable for the child's developmental level. Parents and children will also be encouraged to practice 5-minute at-home exercises three times a week throughout the 8-week period and continue up to a 6-month follow-up. Participants will undergo three neurodevelopmental assessments: before the intervention, immediately after, and six months later. The study will monitor recruitment, dropout, and adherence rates; acceptability of randomization; variation in yoga delivery; and data completeness. These measurements will help determine the feasibility of the procedures and inform the sample size for the future full-scale RCT. Overall participation spans about eight months including the intervention and follow-up periods.

Researchers are studying a birth cohort of infants to understand how allergies might be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities. The study aims to identify factors in early life that influence these neurodevelopmental outcomes using standard diagnostic criteria (DSM-5). This observational study is led by Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and focuses on children living in Jinan City and nearby areas in China. Infants in the study are divided into two groups based on allergy status: an allergic group and a control group without allergies. They will be followed for up to six years, with periodic collection of biological samples like blood, urine, and feces. Growth measurements such as height and weight, along with developmental assessments like the GESELL test, will be recorded during regular follow-ups. Participants will undergo evaluations to monitor for signs of ASD, ADHD, or learning disabilities over the study period. Researchers will gather data through questionnaires and clinical examinations at multiple time points from 2023 to 2029. This long-term follow-up helps assess how early-life allergies may affect neurodevelopment. The study provides ongoing monitoring but does not involve any treatment interventions.

Researchers are studying acquired dyslexia caused by stroke to see if a computer-based model can predict which type of reading therapy will work best for each person. This early phase 1 trial compares two different treatments using a neural network cognitive model to simulate dyslexia and its treatment. The goal is to find out if following the model's treatment recommendation offers an advantage over the alternative therapy. Participants will receive two rounds of therapy, each consisting of 60 hours over about six weeks (5 days a week, 2 hours per day). The therapies tested are Phono-Motor Therapy (PMT), which focuses on phonological training with letters and sounds, and Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA), which uses word meanings and categories to support reading. One group will get the therapy that matches the model's prediction for their reading impairment, while the other group will receive the non-matched therapy first and then switch to the other therapy. During the study, participants will have assessments at the start, after the first 60 hours, and after the final 60 hours of therapy. These include reading tests like the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test and word/pseudoword reading, as well as language and aphasia evaluations. Researchers will closely monitor progress throughout the therapy sessions to measure changes in reading ability and language skills. The entire study allows adults aged 18 to 85 with stroke-related acquired dyslexia to participate and lasts through both treatment rounds and follow-up assessments.

Researchers are developing an Adaptive and Individualized Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system designed to help individuals with severe motor impairments communicate more effectively. This study focuses on creating a personalized communication device that automatically adapts to the user's physical abilities by customizing a comprehensive keyboard interface. The goal is to improve communication access for people who rely on alternative methods due to conditions like spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, or locked-in syndrome. Participants will use two types of AAC systems during the study: an Experimental AAC system featuring wearable sensors to detect movement and muscle activity for cursor control and selection, integrated with an adaptive keyboard; and a Generic AAC system similar to devices they normally use, such as eye-tracking with a generic keyboard. Each participant will use both systems in sequence to compare communication performance, with the Experimental AAC aiming to enhance information transfer and user experience. During the study, participants will attend approximately 5 testing sessions involving the use of these AAC systems over about one year. Researchers will assess communication effectiveness using tools such as the Tele-healthcare Satisfaction Questionnaire, Information Transfer Rate measurement, and the NASA Task Load Index. Additional evaluations include character movement time, path efficiency, word completion usage, and writing fluency. The study will monitor usability, acceptance, and benefits of the AAC system for people with severe motor challenges.

Researchers are investigating the changes in gene activity related to metabolic disorders in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders and irritability who are treated with antipsychotic drugs. The study aims to compare gene expression patterns in three groups: those using antipsychotics with metabolic disorders, those using antipsychotics without metabolic disorders, and those with metabolic disorders not using antipsychotics. The goal is to identify early genetic markers that might predict the development of metabolic problems linked to antipsychotic treatment, which could help personalize therapy and reduce metabolic risks. Participants are divided into three groups based on their antipsychotic use and metabolic health status. The study involves a transcriptomic investigation, which examines gene activity from blood samples, followed by classification of these gene patterns. This observational study does not involve experimental treatment but focuses on understanding the biological changes associated with antipsychotic use and metabolic conditions. During the study, each participant will have their body mass index adjusted for age, sex, and height (BMI-Z) measured once at recruitment. Researchers will analyze gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells to identify differences among the groups. The trial is led by IRCCS Eugenio Medea and includes children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. The study will continue until May 2026, with assessments focusing on metabolic and genetic markers relevant to antipsychotic treatment outcomes.

This research aims to explore how the vestibular system influences motor and cognitive development in school-aged children. It focuses on children with typical development, those with vestibular impairments, and children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, or Developmental Coordination Disorder. The goal is to better understand how vestibular dysfunctions at birth or early life stages affect various developmental areas including balance, cognition, motor skills, and psychosocial performance. Participants undergo the Balanced Growth Protocol, a comprehensive behavioral assessment including audiovestibular testing, cognitive tasks, and motor evaluations. The study groups include typically developing children, vestibular-impaired children recently diagnosed with vestibular dysfunction, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Each group completes the same testing protocol designed to detect vestibular, cognitive, and motor dysfunctions and investigate their interrelations. During the study, children attend two main test moments involving assessments such as video Head Impulse Test, Rotatory chair, caloric tests, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and various motor and cognitive tests. These evaluations measure vestibular function, motor skills, and cognitive abilities, including attention and executive function. Parents complete questionnaires about executive function as well. All tests are conducted once during the scheduled visits, with total testing times varying between 5 to 20 minutes per assessment. The study tracks detailed performance outcomes to understand vestibular involvement in child development.

Researchers are studying social cognition profiles in children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 with neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and multiple complex developmental disorder. The study aims to better understand social cognition, which plays a key role in development and social integration, but is often under-assessed in these patients due to a lack of validated tools. Participants will complete a multidimensional social cognition battery developed by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital. This battery evaluates four key social cognition areas: emotion processing, social perception, theory of mind, and attributional style. Additional tasks assessing social cognition and executive function, as well as parent questionnaires, will also be administered. Children and adolescents will be recruited during diagnostic or follow-up visits at the hospital. Assessments include the social cognition battery, supplementary tests, and questionnaires for parents. Researchers will measure overall social cognition scores and scores by dimension, along with the influence of socio-demographic and cognitive factors. The study runs until April 2029 and involves no masking or randomization.

Researchers are studying bilingual individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a condition marked by difficulties in speech and language. This trial evaluates the effects of speech-language treatments tailored to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of bilingual speakers with PPA. It aims to understand how bilingual experiences, like language use and strength, relate to treatment response and to explore brain mechanisms involved in language recovery and resilience in PPA. The study includes two main behavioral interventions based on PPA variant types. Participants with nonfluent/agrammatic PPA engage in Video-Implemented Script Training for Aphasia (VISTA), practicing personally relevant scripts via teletherapy and independent computer exercises. Those with logopenic or semantic variant PPA receive Lexical Retrieval Training (LRT), focusing on word retrieval strategies through teletherapy and computer-based practice. These treatments occur over several weeks with assessments before, after, and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Additionally, some participants undergo brain imaging before treatment. Participants complete regular evaluations of speech intelligibility and naming ability, along with questionnaires and speech feature analyses at multiple time points. The study monitors treatment effects through teletherapy sessions, independent practice, and structured language assessments. Safety and progress are tracked throughout the study, which lasts over a year to capture both immediate and longer-term outcomes of the tailored speech-language interventions.

Researchers are evaluating a new combined approach to treat reading disorders after stroke, focusing on improving language through exercise and targeted therapy. The study involves adults with chronic aphasia caused by left-hemisphere stroke, aiming to enhance cerebral blood flow and rebuild damaged brain networks related to reading. This randomized controlled trial intends to advance understanding of stroke recovery and improve functional outcomes for individuals with post-stroke reading deficits. Participants will receive 40 sessions, each lasting 2 hours daily, four to five times a week. One group will perform 20 minutes of moderate aerobic cycling exercise followed by 90 minutes of Phono-Motor Therapy (PMT), which targets sound units and syllables to improve reading skills. The comparison group will do light stretching exercises for 20 minutes before the same PMT session. Both groups begin with warm-up and cool-down periods and complete logs on their experiences. Before, during, and after the treatment course, participants undergo behavioral testing and three MRI scans to measure brain activity and blood flow changes. Assessments include reading aloud, comprehension, and language batteries, conducted at baseline and within two weeks after treatment completion, approximately 10 weeks from the study start. The study also monitors participants' effort and safety throughout the intervention to evaluate the combined treatment's effectiveness and neurological impact.