View clinical trials related to Learning Disabilities.
Filter by:Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is the most common pediatric epilepsy syndrome. Affected children typically have a mild seizure disorder, but yet have moderate difficulties with language, learning and attention that impact quality of life more than the seizures. Separate from the seizures, these children have very frequent abnormal activity in their brain known as interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs, or spikes), which physicians currently do not treat. These IEDs arise near the motor cortex, a region in the brain that controls movement. In this study, the investigators will use a form of non-invasive brain stimulation called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine the impact of IEDs on brain regions important for language to investigate: (1) if treatment of IEDs could improve language; and (2) if brain stimulation may be a treatment option for children with epilepsy. Participating children will wear electroencephalogram (EEG) caps to measure brain activity. The investigators will use TMS to stimulate the brain region where the IEDs originate to measure how this region is connected to other brain regions. Children will then receive a special form of TMS called repetitive TMS (rTMS) that briefly reduces brain excitability. The study will measure if IEDs decrease and if brain connectivity changes after rTMS is applied. The investigators hypothesize that the IEDs cause language problems by increasing connectivity between the motor cortex and language regions. The investigators further hypothesize that rTMS will reduce the frequency of IEDs and also reduce connectivity between the motor and language region
Doose syndrome is a rare epileptic syndrome that can lead to learning difficulties and a poor quality of life. The goal of this study is to evaluate the evolution of epilepsy and its consequences on cognitive development and learning issues in children with Doose syndrome.
The main aim of the study is to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin (24IU) influences reward sensitivity and performance monitoring during reinforcement learning.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the real-time kinetics of handwriting regarding the design of the utensil and fine motor performances from biomechanical perspectives. It includes three parts. The first part is an observational study design and the specific aim of the first part of the study is to establish a novel kinetic assessment system incorporated with Force Acquisition Pens (FAPs) designed with different barrel sizes and shapes for handwriting. The thorough calibration, examination of reliability and validity will be presented in this study. The second part is also an observational study design and the specific aim of the second part of the study is to investigate the handwriting mechanisms using the kinetic assessment system incorporated with the motion capture system with children who have writing difficulties. The third part is an interventional study design and the aim of this final part is to integrate the kinetic assessment system and the intervention concept to establish a Biomechanical Assessment and Biofeedback-training System for Handwriting (BABSH). Comparison of the intervention effect of the BABSH and traditional training for the children with handwriting difficulties will also be carried out in this part.
This study consists of a 6-week, open-label, randomized clinical trial study to compare efficacy and tolerability of the natural treatments omega-3 fatty acids, inositol, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the treatment of mood dysregulation in children and adolescents with non-verbal learning disability (NVLD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Subjects will include youth ages 5-17 years with a non-verbal learning disability (NVLD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and current symptoms of emotional dysregulation.
This study investigates the efficacy of a reading comprehension intervention for English learners in Grades 6 and 7 with reading difficulties. Building on previous intervention studies conducted with students in Grades 4 through 8 over the past 10 years, the investigators utilize a longitudinal, double-cohort design utilizing a randomized control trial assigning students to supplemental reading intervention (RISE) or a no intervention "business as usual" (BAU) comparison condition (i.e., Cohort 1 - Years 1 and 2; 205 students in treatment and 205 in control condition; Cohort 2 - Years 3 and 4; 205 students in treatment and 205 in control condition; total 410 in each condition). Students in each cohort will be treated for 2 years (i.e., 6th and 7th grades or 7th and 8th grades). The primary outcome is reading comprehension. The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving the RISE intervention will outperform those receiving BAU instruction across reading-related elements, including word reading, fluency, and comprehension at end of year two of treatment.
This study is a 12-week randomized-controlled trial of memantine hydrochloride (Namenda) for the treatment of social impairment in youth with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, and related conditions. Eligible participants will be males and females ages 8-18. This study consists of up to 6 visits to Massachusetts General Hospital.
The current literature on academic skill difficulties, whether considered as part of the continuum of ability or as a specific learning disability (LD), indicates that these problems often coexist with conduct problems and juvenile delinquency, and are risk factors for initial law-breaking behavior and for its persistence. However, less is understood about how this relationship develops. It is these broad questions that this project seeks to address. First, what is the causal pathway? Does LD cause delinquency, delinquency cause LD, or are both caused by something else? And can big data analytics applied to statewide datasets of information about juvenile justice (JJ) involvement help to answer this question? Second, as it is known that learning to read and do math (and thus becoming more employable) increases the likelihood of desistance (i.e., not committing any more illegal acts), what are the necessary parts of an intervention designed to teach these skills? And what role might technology play in such an intervention? To answer these questions, we will implement a study that includes two components, (a) a big data component and (b) an intervention component. For (a), we will work with a large historical dataset from the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department. For (b), we will work, in total, with 192 (48 per year) delinquent youth with severe LD in residential placement. These individuals, in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, will be offered an educational therapy designed to address severe reading problems in juvenile detainees using a novel mixed media intervention in which the person-to-person intensive 1:1 component is completed while youth are in residential settings (24 sessions, delivered in 90 minute settings 3 times a week) and a "gamified" educational smartphone learning tool follow-up completed upon release (with appropriate network fidelity monitoring and participant reinforcement). The person-to-person component is developed specifically for juvenile offenders with severe LD, combining two well-established and highly-regarded intervention programs designed to systematically build students' repertoire of grapheme-phoneme correspondence rules as well as develop comprehensive reading skills, from beginning reading to proficiency.
Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a common genetic disorder that is associated with a four times greater risk of learning disabilities, including reading disabilities, and a deficiency of neurofibromin - a protein important in a signaling pathway that regulates learning and memory. Our previous work (NS49096) demonstrated that school-age children with NF+RD can respond to standard phonologically-based reading tutoring originally developed to treat reading disability in the general population. Combining our work with that by other researchers suggesting that a medication (Lovastatin) may counteract the effects of the deficient neurofibromin, and possibly ameliorate learning disabilities in NF1, the investigator propose to examine the synergistic effects of medication plus reading tutoring.
This is a study to assess whether memantine is effective and safe in preventing age related cognitive deterioration and dementia in people with Down's syndrome (DS) age 40 and over. The study will last for a year and it will include 180 people with Down's syndrome with and without dementia. Participants will be assessed on memory skills, attention and problem solving abilities. Quality of life and abilities for everyday living skills will also be regularly checked. Primary Aims Clinical: - To determine the clinical efficacy of memantine versus placebo in preventing cognitive decline in people with DS. - To compare the safety and tolerability of memantine versus placebo in people with Down’s syndrome (DS). Biochemical and pathological: - To examine the ability of memantine to alter markers of disease progression in DS patients. Secondary Aims Clinical: - To determine whether memantine has, as compared with placebo, a significant positive impact on: - level of independent functioning as measured by the carer-rated adaptive behavioural scale, (ABS) in adults with DS; - quality of life in adults with DS. Biochemical and pathological: - To investigate putative markers of memantine’s mechanism of action in peripheral samples from living patients with DS.