Clinical Research Directory

Reading-FREE Markers for Early Detection of Developmental Dyslexia

This study aims to identify early signs of developmental dyslexia (DD) and other reading difficulties in children born preterm, using behavioral, cognitive, and brain imaging data collected before reading problems typically become noticeable. Children born very early often face greater risk for reading and learning challenges, but these difficulties are not always detected in time for early support. This research seeks to fill that gap. A group of 30 children born preterm will be followed over time, alongside a control group of 15 children born at term. All children will be assessed during the second and third years of primary school (around ages 6-9). In Grade 2, children will undergo (a) a specially designed digital screening tool for reading difficulties that does not require actual reading (called the RFST), (b) standard tests of reading, language, and attention, and (c) structural and functional brain scans using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In Grade 3, the children will be reassessed using the RFST and the cognitive and language tests. The goal is to identify specific behavioral and brain-based markers-particularly patterns of brain connectivity-that are already present in Grade 2 and can predict which children will go on to show reading difficulties in Grade 3. By comparing data from preterm and term-born children, researchers aim to discover early warning signs that are specific to children born preterm. By detecting these risks early, before reading delays become severe, the study hopes to guide new tools for screening and early intervention, tailored specifically to the unique developmental paths of children born preterm. This could help prevent later academic struggles and promote better long-term outcomes.

Dynamic Assessment of the Risk for Language and Reading Disorders in Monolingual and Multilingual Children

The project represents the completion of a part of the recently concluded European project MultiMind, in which a computer platform called MuLiMi was developed and validated. The platform hosts screening tests for the identification of the risk of Language and Learning Disorders in preschool and primary school children, respectively. The aim is to validate the Dynamic Assessment (DA) tests (a first test assessing the capacity to learn new words for preschool children and a second one assessing the capacity to learn a new spelling code for school-age children) in a population of monolingual and bilingual children attending preschool and primary school. The main goal of the study is to complete the validation of the two Dynamic Assessment tests implemented in the MuLiMi platform developed for the MultiMind project.

Personalization of Visual Characters and Text-to-Speech (TTS) to Support Learning in Students With Reading Difficulties

Previous research has shown the importance of font type, size and spacing to facilitate text reading in dyslexia. A special automatized procedure was designed to select the most favorable parameters for both text visualization and text-to-speech (TTS) conversion to be used by students with reading difficulties. The validation of its outcomes will be carried out through a systematic comparison of the use of the personalized versus standard fonts and voices in reading and writing tests.

V5/MT Stimulation on Reading and Reading-related Measures in Developmental Dyslexia

The present study grounds on the absence of evidence-based treatment in individuals with developmental dyslexia (DD). At this topic, the present study will explore the potential effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over left hemispheric direct Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)-V5/MT pathway, cerebral areas usually disrupted in individuals with DD. The investigators hypothesized that active tDCS over V5/MT will boost reading skills in children and adolescents with DD. On the contrary, sham (placebo condition) tDCS over V5/MT or active (control condition) tDCS over V1 will not have significant effect in improving reading skills. Further, both active and sham tDCS will be safe and well tolerated.