Recruiting

Cognitive Skills

Sponsor:

Stanford University

Code:

NCT05201534

Conditions

Math Learning Disability

Child Development

Developmental Disability

Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabled

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 6 - 12

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Experimental

Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Active Comparator

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying response to intervention aimed at enhancing, and remediating weaknesses in, numerical skills in children, including those with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD).

Conditions

Math Learning Disability

Child Development

Developmental Disability

Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabled

Study ID

NCT05201534

Start date

May 5, 2023

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

Aug 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 6 - 12

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Elementary school aged children starting from first grade (6-12 years old)
2. IQ: Participants with a Full Scale IQ > 70 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scle of Intelligence (WASI-II).
3. Identification of Mathematical Learning Disabilities: Scores below the 35th percentile percentile on symbolic number processing test in Numeracy Screener and two or more Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-IV) math subtests
4. Identification of typically developing children: Scores at or above the 35th percentile percentile on symbolic number processing test in Numeracy Screener and all WIAT-IV math subtests
5. Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no hearing impairments
6. Inclusion in MRI scan session: Right-handed

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of neurological or psychiatric disorder (i.e., schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.)
2. History of trauma involving head injury
3. Consistent psychiatric medications
4. Exclusion from MRI scan session: No major contraindication for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - braces, metal implants, pacemakers, vascular stents, metallic ear tubes, consistent exposure to metal, claustrophobia)

Study Design

Enrollment

180 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Integrative Symbolic Non-Symbolic (iSNS) Training

Integrative symbolic non-symbolic (iSNS) training: Over a period of 6 weeks, participants will complete activities that progressively strengthen the mapping of symbolic numerical representations to non-symbolic numerical quantities and enhance fluency in symbolic numerical skills.

active comparator: Active Comparator: Active Control Intervention (Working Memory Training)

Active control intervention: Over a period of 6 weeks, participants will complete activities that enhance short-term storage and maintenance of visuospatial or verbal information.

Interventions

Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Experimental

After study participants have completed screenings to meet our inclusion criteria, participants will take part in the pre-training MRI brain scan (if eligible) and behavioral assessments and will then be assigned to the intervention for 6 weeks.

During this training, participants will spend three days each week completing a set of problems at their home on a tablet that we provide them. Participants will receive one-to-one training with a member of our research team once a week.

Following the completion of the 6-week training program, participants will be asked to complete a second MRI brain imaging session (for those who completed pre-training MRI) and post-measure appointments in order to assess immediate effects of the training program. Participants will also be invited to return for follow-up testing after six months in order to assess the long- lasting effects of the training program.

Interventions in Mathematics and Cognitive Skills - Active Comparator

After study participants have completed screenings to meet our inclusion criteria, participants will take part in the pre-training MRI brain scan (if eligible) and behavioral assessments and will then be assigned to the intervention for 6 weeks.

During this training, participants will spend three days each week completing a set of problems at their home on a tablet that we provide them. Participants will receive one-to-one training with a member of our research team once a week.

Following the completion of the 6-week training program, participants will be asked to complete a second MRI brain imaging session (for those who completed pre-training MRI) and post-measure appointments in order to assess immediate effects of the training program. Participants will also be invited to return for follow-up testing after six months in order to assess the long- lasting effects of the training program.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change from baseline in symbolic number comparison task performance (reaction time) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in symbolic number comparison task performance (accuracy) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in non-symbolic number comparison task performance (reaction time) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in non-symbolic number comparison task performance (accuracy) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of symbolic number comparison task performance (drift rate) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of symbolic number comparison task performance (post-error adjustment) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of non-symbolic number comparison task performance (drift rate) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in latent cognitive measures of non-symbolic number comparison task performance (post-error adjustment) [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in brain activation during symbolic number comparison task performance [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]
  • Change from baseline in brain activation during non-symbolic number comparison task performance [ Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Vinod Menon, PhD

16507363699menon@stanford.edu

Locations

Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory

Recruiting

Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304

Contacts

Zehra Unal

737-615-0834zehraeu@stanford.edu

Oliver Lasnick

818-836-7956ohml@stanford.edu

Principal Investigator:

Vinod Menon, Ph.D.

More Information

Sponsor

Stanford University

Last update posted

Aug 11, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Keywords

  • Numerical skills in children
  • Low math abilities
  • Mathematical Learning Disabilities
  • Mathematical Concepts
  • Mathematics
  • Transfer, Psychology
  • Generalization, Psychology
  • Early Intervention, Educational
  • Neural Pathways
  • Neural Networks, Computer

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Stanford University on 2026-08-11.