NCT05268341

Brief Summary

Children with developmental language disorders (DLD, aka specific language impairment), a prevalent pediatric disorder, experience hallmark grammar deficits with life-long impacts on educational and occupational outcomes. While effective and early interventions can mitigate the impact of DLD, not enough is known about the neural basis of DLD in young children, yet is needed to inform the design of more individualized interventions. This project uses neuroimaging, along with behavioral methods, with the goal of better understanding the memory-language mechanisms that underlie grammar learning and impairment, while also considering their association to treatment-related changes in preschoolers with DLD.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
184

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
14mo left

Started May 2022

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

6 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress78%
May 2022Jun 2027

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 10, 2022

Completed
25 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

March 7, 2022

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 24, 2022

Completed
5.1 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 30, 2027

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

June 30, 2027

Last Updated

May 6, 2025

Status Verified

May 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

5.1 years

First QC Date

February 10, 2022

Last Update Submit

May 1, 2025

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Functional connectivity data (time 1) from typical and DLD preschoolers

    Aim 1 (all TD and DLD preschoolers)- Primary: Pre/Time 1 data for functional connectivity (assessed using fMRI from the Sentence Completion Expressive Language Task- Preschool (SCELT-P)) between Regions of Interest (ROI) in the procedural learning network and in the declarative memory network

    Time 1 (pre)

  • Functional connectivity data DLD preschoolers only to assess changes with treatment

    Primary: Pre-to-post changes and maintenance of changes post-to-followup in functional connectivity (assessed using fMRI from the SCELT-P) between ROI within the procedural learning network and within the declarative memory network.

    Pre-to-post (up to 14 weeks), post-to-followup (at 27 to 28 weeks)

  • Functional connectivity data for typically developing and DLD preschoolers to assess changes in development

    Changes in development (pre-to-followup) in functional connectivity (assessed using fMRI from the SCELT-P) between ROI within the procedural learning and declarative memory networks.

    pre-to-follow-up (up to 28 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (13)

  • Structural connectivity data for typically developing and DLD preschoolers

    Pre/Time 1 (up to 3-weeks)

  • Structural connectivity data for DLD preschoolers only to assess changes with treatment

    pre-to-post (up to 14-weeks) and post-to-follow-up (at 27 to 28 weeks)

  • Structural connectivity data for typically developing and DLD preschoolers to assess development and disorder over time.

    pre-to-followup (up to 28-weeks)

  • Percent correct on a grammar task for typically developing and DLD preschoolers to assess development and disorder.

    Pre/Time 1 (up to 3-weeks)

  • Raw score on the SPELT-3 for typically developing and DLD preschoolers to assess development

    Pre/Time 1 (up to 3-weeks)

  • +8 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

computer assisted intervention targeting expressive grammar for preschoolers with DLD

Behavioral: My Sentence Builder

No treatment

NO INTERVENTION

business as usual classroom (educational) services

Interventions

computer-assisted treatment program for expressive grammar

Treatment

Eligibility Criteria

Age48 Months - 71 Months
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsChild (0-17)

You may qualify if:

  • ages 48-71 months
  • average nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ)
  • enrolled in participating center
  • typically developing (receptive and expressive language, social, articulation, other)
  • DLD for expressive grammar
  • typical oral motor function
  • typical social/pragmatics skills
  • average hearing thresholds
  • monolingual and native Standard English speakers
  • does not have any uncorrected vision challenges

You may not qualify if:

  • receiving co-occurring speech-language or other intervention for communication
  • not MRI safe
  • special education placement of child based on ability or behavior

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (6)

New Horizon Childcare

Cincinati, Ohio, 45207, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

Empower Learn Create INC

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45220, United States

RECRUITING

Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

CWFF CHild Development Center

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States

RECRUITING

Wesley Education Center for Children and Families

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States

RECRUITING

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45267, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Language Development Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Language DisordersCommunication DisordersNeurobehavioral ManifestationsNeurologic ManifestationsNervous System DiseasesSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

  • Karla N Washington, PhD

    University of Cincinnati

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Karla N Washington, PhD

CONTACT

Jennifer J Vannest, PhD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 10, 2022

First Posted

March 7, 2022

Study Start

May 24, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2027

Last Updated

May 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations