Recruiting

Speech-Perceptual Training

Sponsor:

University of Delaware

Code:

NCT05901493

Conditions

Developmental Language Disorder

Adults Without Language Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 55

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Perceptual category training

Study Details

Brief summary:

Approximately 7% of the population experiences developmental language disorder (DLD), a language disorder with unclear causes. DLD affects communication beyond adolescence and poses challenges for education and career advancement due to difficulties in learning and memory. Recent research suggests that adults with DLD struggle with overnight memory consolidation, indicating a need for effective learning and memory support. This project aims to determine the optimal training schedule for perceptual memory retention in adults with and without DLD. The study involves recruiting 240 adults (120 with DLD, 120 without) for speech-perceptual training with different training schedules. The researchers predict that the manipulation of training schedules will interact with circadian preference and overnight consolidation, leading to the discovery of the best practice schedule for speech sound retention. Additionally, 300 more adults (150 with DLD, 150 without) will be recruited to investigate how optimal training schedules interact with reflexive and reflective learning strategies. The time course of learning and retention will be tracked during reflexive and reflective categorization training in six different training schedules.

Conditions

Developmental Language Disorder

Adults Without Language Disorder

Study ID

NCT05901493

Start date

Oct 23, 2022

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Jul 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 55

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • native speakers of American English
  • Grew up in a household in which only American English was spoken
  • 18-55 years of age
  • Typical vision \& hearing
  • (Aim 2) access to headphones/devices capable of accessing experiment script via internet
  • Must meet criteria for Group membership as either TD or DLD

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of neurological disorders
  • History of psychiatric disorders
  • History of socio-emotional disorders
  • On prescription medication(s) that alter sleep

Study Design

Enrollment

540 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Blocked Evening Only Training

One hour training in the evening, followed by a one hour training 24 hours later

experimental: Distributed Evening Training

One hour training in the evening, followed by a two 30 min trainings 12 and 24 hours later

experimental: Blocked Evening-Morning Training

One hour training in the evening, followed by a one hour training 12 hours later

experimental: Blocked Morning Only Training

One hour training in the morning, followed by a one hour training 24 hours later

experimental: Distributed Morning Training

One hour training in the morning, followed by a two 30 min trainings 12 and 24 hours later

experimental: Blocked Morning-Evening Training

One hour training in the morning, followed by a one hour training 12 hours later

Interventions

Perceptual category training

Participants complete a forced-choice categorization task with feedback, in order to learn difficult auditory and visual categories

Primary outcome measure

  • Speech discrimination - behavior [ Time Frame: 1 week ]
  • category identification - behavior [ Time Frame: 48 hours ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Frances Earle, PhD

6468128376fsearle@udel.edu

Locations

University of Delaware

Recruiting

Newark, Delaware, United States, 19713

Contacts

Frances S Earle, PhD

302-831-3878fsearle@udel.edu

Northeastern University

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115

Contacts

Zhenghan Qi, PhD

z.qi@northeastern.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Delaware

Last update posted

May 29, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Delaware on 2026-05-29.