Examining the Effectiveness of Face Perception and Memory Training to Improve Face Recognition in Developmental Prosopagnosia
Status: Unknown
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY
The goal of this study is to test the effectiveness of two experimental training programs aimed at improving face processing in developmental prosopagnosia (perception training, memory training) in comparison to an active control. The investigators will use a longitudinal design and randomize developmental prosopagnosics to three parallel arms: active control, perception training and memory training.
Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 90
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:
• Aged 18-90
• Have lifelong histories of face recognition difficulties that impact everyday life (i.e., not associated with some event such as a stroke, seizure, etc)
• Score \> 2 standard deviations below the mean on the famous faces test and Cambridge Face Memory Test. This is in line with our previous studies and others in the literature.
Locations
United States
Massachusetts
VA Boston Healthcare System
RECRUITING
Boston
Contact Information
Primary
Joseph DeGutis, Ph.D.
degutis@wjh.harvard.edu
510-734-7705
Time Frame
Start Date: 2023-10-15
Completion Date: 2025-02-21
Participants
Target number of participants: 72
Treatments
Experimental: Memory Training
Participants will perform 6 weeks of face memory training (5 x 40 min sessions/week) that targets enhancing encoding to improve face recollection. As training progresses, the repetition lags (spaces between repeated foil faces) and number of faces will increase.
Active_comparator: Perception Training
Participants will perform 6 weeks of face perception training (5 x 40 min sessions/week) that require discriminating faces based on internal features (e.g., eyebrow-eye distance). As training progresses, the faces will become more challenging and the face sizes will vary.
Placebo_comparator: Active Control Training
Participants will perform 6 weeks of face perception training (5 x 40 min sessions/week) that require discriminating faces based on external facial features (e.g., hair). As training progresses, the faces will become more challenging and the face sizes will vary.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Boston VA Research Institute, Inc.