Restoring Neural Oscillatory Communication in Developmental Dyslexia

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Developmental Dyslexia
• Interventions: Device: Sham (placebo) tACS combined with visuo-attentional training; Device: Sham (placebo) tACS combined with phonics training; Device: Parietal tACS combined with visuo-attentional training

• Registration Number: NCT05583136
• Lead Sponsor: IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

Brief Summary

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a multifactorial disorder that hampers the education of about 10% of individuals across cultures and is associated to both phonological and visual deficits. The latter have been linked to a deficit in the magnocellular-dorsal (M-D) visual stream, that has a critical role in guiding the activity of ventral visual stream areas where letters identity is extracted. Here, we will test the efficacy of transcranial alternate current stimulation (tACS) of the M-D stream combined with reading trainings in adult participants with DD, assessing the neurophysiological underpinnings of these new trainings with EEG and fMRI/DTI.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-12-14
• Status Verified: 2022-10
• Study First Submitted: 2022-10-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-10-13
• Study First Posted: 2022-10-17
• Primary Completion: 2024-12-23
• Study Completion: 2024-12-23
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-01-23
• Last Update Posted: 2025-01-27

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 78

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult patient (age between 18 and 35)
• Official Diagnosis of Developmental Dyslexia (DD)
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
• Normal motor skills

Exclusion Criteria

• Participants that cannot sign the consent form
• Participants unable to read or understand and correctly complete the procedures foreseen by the study
• Participants with a diagnosis or personal history of epilepsy or patients with a positive family history of epilepsy
• Pregnant or breastfeeding patients
• Participants with major psychiatric or neurological disorders and/or currently in psychopharmacological treatments.
• Participants with metal implants in the brain, pacemakers, brain stimulators, cochlear implants.
• Participants with claustrophobia (only for fMRI)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Group DD2	Sham (placebo) tACS combined with visuo-attentional training	Sham (placebo) tACS + visuo-attentional training
Group DD3	Sham (placebo) tACS combined with phonics training	Sham (placebo) tACS + phonics training
Group DD1	Parietal tACS combined with visuo-attentional training	tACS + visuo-attentional training

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Reading score	Pre-training, 1-7 days post-training, follow-up at 1 and 6 months	Text, word and pseudowords reading score

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Luca Ronconi; 🇮🇹 Milan, Italy