Clinical trial NCT06304454: Board Games at Kindergarten (5 Years Old) to Improve Cognitive and Emotional Processes
Official title: Board Games at Kindergarten (5 Years Old) to Improve Cognitive and Emotional Processes
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Kindergarten Children
Keywords: Cognitive change
Emotional change
Child development
Kindergarten
Lead sponsor: Brain In Game scientific-technical service
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-03-12
Enrollment: 26
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 5
Maximum age (years): 6
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Cluster RCT
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Cognitive (i.e. executive functions, memory) and socio-emotional (i.e. affection recognition) processes emerges at first years. These processes have been frequently related to adequate academic performance in the scientific literature (Passolunghi et al, 2015). Current research aimed at training cognitive processes found promising results using board game as a cognitive tool in children (Passolunghi \& Costa, 2016). Considering the growing interest of teachers in this playful and possibly educational, cognitive and socio-emotional resource, a game program for these purposes has been designed to be used in kindergarten classrooms.

The main aim of the present study is to test the efficacy of a cognitive and emotional training program in the classroom based on board games in kindergarten students (5 years old). For this, there will be an experimental group that will carry out the cognitive and emotional game program in the classroom implemented by the teachers of the participating centers, and a control group that will be on board games that do not directly activate cognitive and emotional processes. At the end of the interventions, the groups will be compensated by carrying out inversely both board game programs. The classes will be randomly assigned to an experimental group and a passive control group.

Detailed description: The hypothesis from this study are: i) the experimental group will show a significantly greater improvement in the neuropsychological tasks that measure cognitive and emotional processes compared to the active control group after the intervention; ii) the experimental group will show a significantly greater improvement in the tests evaluated by their parents after the intervention compared to the active control group. All hypotheses will be controlled for age and socioeconomic status.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* To be enrolled in an ordinary educational center.
* To provide informed consent from both parents and the participant's agreement to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Sensory/comprehension difficulties that make it impossible to carry out the program activities.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Visual Memory
timeFrame: Baseline and Post-intervention (after 5 weeks)
measure: Processing speed and inhibition
timeFrame: Baseline and Post-intervention (after 5 weeks)
measure: Affect recognition
timeFrame: Baseline and Post-intervention (after 5 weeks)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Hollingshead Index (Hollingshead, 1975)
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: CHEXI (Giménez et al. 2022)
timeFrame: Baseline and Post-intervention (after 5 weeks)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lleida
country: Spain
facility: Faculty of Education, Psychology and Social Work; University of Lleida
Study officials:
References:
citation: Passolunghi MC, Costa HM. Working memory and early numeracy training in preschool children. Child Neuropsychol. 2016;22(1):81-98. doi: 10.1080/09297049.2014.971726. Epub 2014 Nov 4.
citation: Passolunghi MC, Lanfranchi S, Altoe G, Sollazzo N. Early numerical abilities and cognitive skills in kindergarten children. J Exp Child Psychol. 2015 Jul;135:25-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.02.001. Epub 2015 Mar 25.
citation: Giménez, A., López-Zamora, M., Vila, O., Sánchez, A., & Thorell, L. B. (2022). Fiabilidad y validez de la versión española del
citation: Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Four factor index of social status. Retrieved from: https://sociology.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/yjs_fall_2011.pdf#page=21
citation: Korkman, M., Kirk, U., & Kemp, S. (2007). NEPSY-II (2nd Ed.). San Antonio: Pearson PsychCorp.
citation: Wechsler, D. (2014). WPPSI-IV, Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para preescolar y primaria (4th Ed.). Madrid/Barcelona: Pearson Clinical Assessment Spain.