Memory and Attention in Healthy Children

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This project studies memory and attention in healthy children aged from 5 to 17 years. The processes investigated are short term memory (auditory and visual) and attention. To characterize these processes involved in childhood, neuropsychological and neurophysiological assessments will be performed (using Electro-encephalography measures, behavioural responses and questionnaires).

Official Title
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Memory, Auditory and Visual Attention in Healthy Children: Neurophysiological and Electrophysiological Aspects

Conditions
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Healthy Volunteers

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Experience 1 : Auditory and Visual Discrimination
* Other: Experience 2 : Passive and Active Auditory Perception
* Other: Experience 3 : Visual Attention Training
* Other: Experience 4 : Attention and Distractibility
* Other: Experience 5 : Sustained Visual Attention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Normal or corrected vision No neurological and psychiatric antecedent. No neuro-developmental disorder (dysphasia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder…) Motivation to participate to the study Signed parental informed consent authorizing their child to participate to the study Exclusion Criteria: Children educated in a specialized institution. Subjects diagnosed with a neurological, psychiatric or neuro-developmental disorder Subjects with hearing loss Subjects with a visual impairment that cannot be corrected Subjects with an organic or chronic disease that can affect cognitive functions. Subjects who do not benefit from social security.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 5 Years
Maximum Age: 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Healthy Children<br>Memory and Attention in healthy children will be assessed non-invasively through behavioral and electrophysiological measures while participants will perform passive or active computer task involving auditory and/or visual perception. | Other: Experience 1 : Auditory and Visual Discrimination<br>* Neuropsychological tests consist in listening to sounds in various contexts and providing behavioral responses with response-buttons.<br>Other: Experience 2 : Passive and Active Auditory Perception<br>* Neuropsychological tests consist in listening to sounds under 2 conditions, an active or a passive one, during which different auditory stimuli will be presented: frequent stimuli (standard) and rare stimuli (deviants). These two stimuli differ in some of their feature (height, duration, …). A third, very rare (novel) stimulus will also be used (the subject's first name). Responses will be provided using a response-button and feedback will be given at each response. EEG will be recorded all along to measure Neurophysiological signals.<br>Other: Experience 3 : Visual Attention Training<br>* This experience aims at training visual attention through serious games. Children will play against an artificial intelligence and will focus their attention on one out of many possible targets (checkers, cards, boxes) presented on screen. Responses will be provided using a response-button, sometimes completed by an eye-tracking measure. Feedback will be given to the child after his response. EEG will be recorded all along to measure Neurophysiological signals.<br>Other: Experience 4 : Attention and Distractibility<br>* Neuropsychological tests consist in listening to sounds preceded by a visual cue indicating (or not) in which ear the sounds will be played. The subject Child should detect the target sound (e.g. a dog barking). In some trials, a distracting distraction will be introduced between the visual cue and the target sound. Responses will be provided using a response-button. EEG will be recorded all along to measure Neurophysiological signals.<br>Other: Experience 5 : Sustained Visual Attention<br>* Neuropsychological tests consist in watching visual stimuli presented in 3 blocks of 3 minutes each, with a break of one minute between each block. The child has to detect the presence of a red letter in a pattern made of four letters (the three other letters are black). Behavioral responses will be provided using a response-button. EEG will be recorded all along to measure Neurophysiological signals.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Neuropsychological tests: Proportion of accurate answers |  | 2 months | 
| Neuropsychological tests: reaction time of answers (seconds) |  | 2 months | 
| Neurophysiological tests: Event-related potentials in response to auditory and visual stimulations |  | 2 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of accurate answers according to age range of children |  | 2 months | 
| reaction time of answers (seconds) according to age range of children |  | 2 months | 
| Event-related potentials in response to auditory and visual stimulations according to age range of children |  | 2 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Attention, Short-term memory, Aural Memory, Visual Memory, Child, EEG