Investigation of Neurophysiological Functioning During Oral Comprehension Task

Recruiting

• Conditions: Language; Comprehension; Learning
• Interventions: Diagnostic Test: behavior; Diagnostic Test: physiology; Diagnostic Test: imaging

• Registration Number: NCT06178276
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Grenoble

Brief Summary

The oral comprehension (OC) of a second language (L2) involves different cognitive processes, specially during the learning phase. This study aims at investigating the neurophysiological functioning of different steps involved in this oral understanding.

Detailed Description

Here, the investigators seek for the different neurophysiological processes involved in OC according to the level of understanding (2 levels) and its different phases (fluid, hindered and metacognitive feedback).

This study therefore requires three different research methodologies :

1. an interactive system dedicated to the boundary delimitations of obstacles during OC

2. an investigation of the autonomic nervous system responses (measurement of electrodermal activity and heart rate variability) that will likely occur differently during different phases of the OC process

3. an investigation of the central responses (through fMRI technique), coupled with autonomous responses, that will identify the different neural networks in the different stages of the OC process.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-11-16
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-12-11
• Study First Posted: 2023-12-20
• Status Verified: 2024-02
• Study Start: 2024-02-14
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-02-15
• Last Update Posted: 2024-02-16
• Primary Completion: 2026-02
• Study Completion: 2026-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 70

Inclusion Criteria

• French learner in Italian language
• right-handed
• affiliated to French social security
• informed consent signed

Exclusion Criteria

• pregnant woman
• audiologic pathology impacting the capacity of hearing
• neurologic or psychiatric pathology that may interfere with oral comprehension
• learning disability (for instance: dyslexia)
• contra-indication to MRI and to EDA acquisition

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
A2 level	behavior	Level of oral comprehension in italian language
B2 level	behavior	Level of oral comprehension in italian language
B2 level	imaging	Level of oral comprehension in italian language
A2 level	physiology	Level of oral comprehension in italian language
A2 level	imaging	Level of oral comprehension in italian language
B2 level	physiology	Level of oral comprehension in italian language

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Sympathetic activity	up to 3 months following the language profile completion	ElectroDermal Activity (EDA) measured in µS

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Interaction between sympathetic activity and brain activity	up to 6 months following the acquisition of language profile	Correlation of EDA (µS) with fMRI brain imaging data
Activated brain regions demonstrating brain activity	up to 6 months following the language profile completion	fMRI brain imaging data will be analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12).
Parasympathetic activity	up to 3 months following the language profile completion	Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measured using the relative power of the high-frequency (HF) component of the HRV (in % of the total power)
Correlations between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity	up to 3 months following the language profile completion	correlation between EDA components measured in µS and relative power of the HF-HRV
Interaction between parasympathetic activity and brain activity	up to 6 months following the acquisition of language profile	Correlation of relative HF component of HRV with the fMRI brain imaging data
Linguistic evaluation	up to 1 month following the acquisition of language profile	Linguistic processes are assessed by performance score on the following tests: verbal fluency test in first language (number of items found in 1 min); verbal fluency test in second language (number of items found in 1 min)
Cognitive evaluation of executive functions	up to 1 month following the acquisition of language profile	Cognitive evaluation assessed by the following tests: Trail Making Test (TMT-A and TMT-B) scores. Time duration (in seconds) for each subtest. Shortest duration meaning efficient executive functions
Cognitive evaluation of short term memory	up to 1 month following the acquisition of language profile	WAIS4 subtest (measured by scores)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Hospital Grenoble; 🇫🇷 Grenoble, France