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Not yet recruiting NCT07718698

Effects of Tool Handling on Language Processing

No phase Interventional Young Adults

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: Dexterous tool-use training, Dexterous manual training group without tools (Online), Control.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Young Adults. Basic parameters: 19 years — 24 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
Brazil
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

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Official title

Analysis of the Effect of a Tool-Handling Intervention in a Specific Context on the Linguistic Processing of Healthy Young Adults

Overview

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of a context-specific tool-handling intervention on linguistic processing in healthy young adults. Participants will be allocated into three groups: a dexterous tool-use training group, a dexterous manual training group without tools, and a Control group. The dexterous tool-use training group will perform a task-oriented activity involving the use of tweezers to place colored beads into a mandala within a specific functional context. The intervention requires sequential motor planning, force control, precision, and goal-directed tool use. The dexterous manual training group without tools will perform a similar bead-placement activity without tool use, involving direct hand manipulation and lower task complexity. Both intervention groups will participate in synchronous online sessions via Google Meet for 20 minutes per day, five times per week, over a two-week period. The Control group will not receive any structured intervention and will instead be instructed to perform one activity of daily living using the non-dominant upper limb once per day during the two-week period. Linguistic processing will be assessed through a sentence judgment task involving sentences with and without semantic violations, in which participants will classify the sentences as correct or incorrect while electroencephalographic activity (EEG) is recorded. Additionally, sleep quality and manual dexterity will also be evaluated. The findings of this study may contribute to understanding the relationship between tool-related motor training and linguistic processing, particularly the interaction between motor and language systems in healthy young adults. Additionally, the study may provide evidence regarding neurophysiological changes associated with context-specific motor interventions.

Interventions

  • Behavioral Dexterous tool-use training
    The intervention will be supervised by a researcher through assynchronous way. Participants will perform a task-oriented activity involving the use of tweezers to place colored beads into a mandala within a functional and goal-directed context.
  • Behavioral Dexterous manual training group without tools (Online)
    The intervention will be supervised by a researcher through assynchronous way. Participants will perform a bead-placement activity directly with their hands, without the use of tools.
  • Behavioral Control
    Participants allocated to the control group will not receive structured training. They will be instructed to perform one activity of daily living using the non-dominant upper limb once per day during the two-week study period.

Primary outcome measures

  • Assessment of Synthatic Processing Performance - Reaction time [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • Assessment of Synthatic Processing Performance - Accuracy [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
Secondary outcome measures (8)
  • N200 Event-Related Potential Mean Amplitude [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • P300 Event-Related Potential Mean Amplitude [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • N200 Event-Related Potential Peak Latency [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • P300 Event-Related Potential Peak latency [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • Assessment of Syntactic Production - Hierarchical Embedding in Spontaneous Discourse [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • Assessment of Syntactic Production - Clauses per Sentence in Spontaneous Discourse [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • Assessment of Syntactic Production - Left-Branching Load (Frazier Index) in Spontaneous Discourse [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]
  • Manual dexterity [Time frame: Change from PRE assessment (up to 1 week before intervention) to POST assessment (up to 1 week after intervention completion)]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy young adults aged between 19 and 24 years;
  • Right-handed individuals.

Exclusion criteria

  • Previous diagnosis of neurological and/or psychiatric disorders;
  • History of traumatic brain injury;
  • Use of psychoactive substances or medications that may affect cognitive functioning;
  • Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double blind
Primary purpose
Treatment

Study locations

Brazil · 1 center
  • UFCSPA — Porto Alegre

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07718698 · TOOLANG

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗