Effects of Tool Handling on Language Processing

NCT07718698 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: TOOLANG
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Young Adults

Keywords

tool; manual dexterity; language

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• 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 Outcomes (8)

• N200 Event-Related Potential Mean Amplitude

  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

  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

  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

  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

  Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)

Other Outcomes (1)

• Assessment of Sleep Quality

  Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)

Study Arms (3)

Dexterous tool-use training

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Dexterous tool-use training

Dexterous manual training group without tools

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Dexterous manual training group without tools (Online)

Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Control

Interventions

Dexterous tool-use training BEHAVIORAL

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.

Dexterous tool-use training

Control BEHAVIORAL

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.

Control

Dexterous manual training group without tools (Online) BEHAVIORAL

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.

Dexterous manual training group without tools

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years - 24 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

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

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre: lead

Study Sites (1)

UFCSPA

Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90050170, Brazil

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Language

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Communication; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Aline Pagnussat, PhD

CONTACT

+55 51 3303-8912; alinesp@ufcspa.edu.br

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2026
• First Posted: July 22, 2026
• Study Start: July 31, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027
• Last Updated: July 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BR (1)