Testing Visual Attention Training to Help Children Aged 7 to 10 with Chinese Developmental Dyslexia Using Video Games

What this Trial Is About

Developmental dyslexia is a common learning disability affecting up to one in eight children in Hong Kong, especially those learning to read Chinese characters. Researchers are investigating whether weaknesses in the brains fast-processing visual system cause reading difficulties or result from limited reading practice. This study aims to test a new model suggesting that visual attention influences reading ability through a sequence involving working memory. The trial randomly assigns 100 Cantonese-speaking children aged 7 to 10 with developmental dyslexia to one of two groups. One group will play an action video game designed to enhance visual attention through fast-paced, attention-demanding mini-games for a total of 12 hours. The control group will play a non-action, cognitively engaging city-building game for the same duration. This design seeks to isolate the effect of visual-attentional training on reading skills. Participants will be assessed at four time points before training, during, immediately after, and six months post-intervention. Assessments include neural measures of visual processing, cognitive tests, and real-world reading performance using advanced eye-tracking technology. The study measures visual attention span as the primary outcome and will provide evidence on new intervention approaches and early screening tools for Chinese developmental dyslexia.

Validating a Neurocognitive Remediation Model for Visual-Attentional Pathway in Chinese Developmental Dyslexia