Neuroimaging Reveals Treatment-related Changes in DLD

Description

Children with developmental language disorders (DLD, aka specific language impairment), a prevalent pediatric disorder, experience hallmark grammar deficits with life-long impacts on educational and occupational outcomes. While effective and early interventions can mitigate the impact of DLD, not enough is known about the neural basis of DLD in young children, yet is needed to inform the design of more individualized interventions. This project uses neuroimaging, along with behavioral methods, with the goal of better understanding the memory-language mechanisms that underlie grammar learning and impairment, while also considering their association to treatment-related changes in preschoolers with DLD.

Conditions

Developmental Language Disorder

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Children with developmental language disorders (DLD, aka specific language impairment), a prevalent pediatric disorder, experience hallmark grammar deficits with life-long impacts on educational and occupational outcomes. While effective and early interventions can mitigate the impact of DLD, not enough is known about the neural basis of DLD in young children, yet is needed to inform the design of more individualized interventions. This project uses neuroimaging, along with behavioral methods, with the goal of better understanding the memory-language mechanisms that underlie grammar learning and impairment, while also considering their association to treatment-related changes in preschoolers with DLD.

Neuroimaging Reveals Treatment-related Changes in DLD

Neuroimaging Reveals Treatment-related Changes in DLD

Condition
Developmental Language Disorder
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Cincinnati

New Horizon Childcare, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45207

Cincinnati

Empower Learn Create INC, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45220

Cincinnati

Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229

Cincinnati

CWFF CHild Development Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229

Cincinnati

Wesley Education Center for Children and Families, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229

Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45267

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * ages 48-71 months
  • * average nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ)
  • * enrolled in participating center
  • * typically developing (receptive and expressive language, social, articulation, other)
  • * DLD for expressive grammar
  • * typical oral motor function
  • * typical social/pragmatics skills
  • * average hearing thresholds
  • * monolingual and native Standard English speakers
  • * does not have any uncorrected vision challenges
  • * receiving co-occurring speech-language or other intervention for communication
  • * not MRI safe
  • * special education placement of child based on ability or behavior

Ages Eligible for Study

48 Months to 71 Months

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Cincinnati,

Karla N Washington, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Cincinnati

Study Record Dates

2026-06-30