Sequential Pattern Learning Assessment for Specific Language Impairment

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Megan D Figueroa, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: LouAnn Gerken

Disqualifiers: Hearing impairment, Autism, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

1260 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This broad aim of this clinical study is to assess the hypothesis that morphological and phonological deficits are linked by a broader deficit in sequential pattern learning. This hypothesis applies to learning in general, but is especially critical as an avenue for developing earlier assessments and more powerful interventions for children with developmental language disorder (DLD; AKA specific language impairment). Other populations, such as at-risk toddlers, may also benefit from this new approach.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Sensitivity to phonological rules and semantic category cues for adults with Specific Language Impairment?

Research shows that phonological and semantic cues can help children with specific language impairment learn words better, suggesting that similar strategies might be effective for adults. Additionally, adults with developmental language disorder can learn certain types of grammar rules, indicating that treatments focusing on phonological and semantic cues could be beneficial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the Sequential Pattern Learning Assessment treatment differ from other treatments for Specific Language Impairment?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on improving the ability to learn and recognize patterns in sequences, which is often a challenge for individuals with Specific Language Impairment. Unlike other treatments that may focus on direct language skills, this approach targets the underlying cognitive processes that support language learning. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Research Team

LouAnn Gerken, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Arizona

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults with normal hearing and no medical, educational, or developmental concerns. Participants should have been primarily exposed to English since infancy and have no history of speech, language, or hearing difficulties. It excludes those with hearing, intellectual or significant motor impairments, autism, or reported developmental disorders.

Inclusion Criteria

I have normal hearing.

I have never had problems with speech, language, or hearing.

I have no history of medical, educational, or developmental issues.

Exclusion Criteria

I have a hearing problem.

People with autism are not allowed to participate.

You have had developmental, speech, language, or hearing disorders in the past.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training

Participants are familiarized with different types of sound patterns and semantic cues

4 weeks

Assessment

Participants' ability to learn sound patterns is assessed immediately following the intervention

1 week

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for retention of learning and effectiveness of intervention

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Sensitivity to phonological rules: Adults
• Sensitivity to semantic category cues: Adults

Trial Overview The study tests the hypothesis that deficits in morphological and phonological aspects of language are connected by a broader issue in sequential pattern learning. This could lead to better early assessments and treatments for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in children.

Participant Groups

Group I: Sensitivity to semantic category cues: Adults Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Arm 1. Referential cue during OR learning.

Group II: Sensitivity to phonological rules: Adults Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Arm 1: Single Feature Pattern; Arm 2: OR/Disjunction Pattern

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

LouAnn Gerken

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

1,300+

The University of Texas at Dallas

Collaborator

Trials

71

Recruited

108,000+

Findings from Research

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) showed improved comprehension of words when using semantic cues and better production of words with phonological cues, indicating that tailored strategies can enhance word learning for this group.

In contrast, children with normal language (NL) performed similarly across both cue types but required fewer trials to learn words, suggesting that children with SLI may need more support in word learning compared to their peers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Word learning by preschoolers with specific language impairment: effect of phonological or semantic cues. Gray, S.[2022]

Adults with developmental language disorder (DLD) can learn certain types of artificial grammar, specifically the Family Resemblance grammar, as effectively as adults with typical development, indicating that their learning abilities are not universally impaired.

The study supports the sequential pattern learning deficit hypothesis, suggesting that difficulties in grammar learning for individuals with DLD are primarily linked to challenges in computing sequential dependencies rather than a general impairment in implicit learning.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Not All Procedural Learning Tasks Are Difficult for Adults With Developmental Language Disorder. Gerken, L., Plante, E., Goffman, L.[2021]

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) showed impaired ability to learn auditory categories through procedural learning methods, while their rule-based learning remained intact, indicating a specific deficit in procedural learning.

The study highlights that children with DLD have slower adaptation to optimal procedural strategies, supporting the idea that language disorders may stem from difficulties in procedural learning systems, which can affect their ability to form stable linguistic representations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Procedural auditory category learning is selectively disrupted in developmental language disorder. Derawi, H., Roark, CL., Gabay, Y.[2023]

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) affects children who struggle to develop language skills despite normal overall development, and it may stem from either grammatical knowledge deficits or information-processing issues.

The study suggests that phonology, which is crucial for understanding speech sounds, may connect speech processing deficits to the grammatical challenges faced by children with SLI, highlighting its role in language learning and working memory.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Specific language impairment: a deficit in grammar or processing? Joanisse, MF., Seidenberg, MS.[2011]

Adolescents and young adults with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) showed less consistency in identifying speech sounds compared to age-matched controls, indicating potential speech perception deficits.

Individuals with SLI placed less importance on vowel duration cues when categorizing sounds, but these deficits in speech perception did not directly correlate with their overall language skills.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Phonetic categorisation and cue weighting in adolescents with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Tuomainen, O., Stuart, NJ., van der Lely, HK.[2015]

In a study involving 32 adults (16 with language/learning disabilities and 16 without), those with disabilities showed significantly poorer performance in recognizing grammatical word order cues in an artificial grammar task, indicating challenges in this area.

The findings suggest that the ability to learn and apply word order rules, which typically develops early in life, remains problematic for adults with language/learning disabilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sensitivity to word order cues by normal and language/learning disabled adults. Plante, E., Gomez, R., Gerken, L.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Word learning by preschoolers with specific language impairment: effect of phonological or semantic cues. [2022]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Not All Procedural Learning Tasks Are Difficult for Adults With Developmental Language Disorder. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Procedural auditory category learning is selectively disrupted in developmental language disorder. [2023]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Specific language impairment: a deficit in grammar or processing? [2011]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Phonetic categorisation and cue weighting in adolescents with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). [2015]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sensitivity to word order cues by normal and language/learning disabled adults. [2022]