Ongoing studies

Interventions for Children with Reading and Attention Disorders: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Scope:

Dore has provided assistance to a numbered of renowned academics in the U.S. who are specialists in the area of reading and attention disorders to design a study protocol to measure the short and long-term outcomes of a number of interventions for children with reading and attention disorders (one intervention being the Dore Programme). The study protocol has been completed and a pilot feasibility study is in progress at the Ohio State University in the U.S. to assess the practical feasibility of such a study with specific focus on the management of the double-blinded placebo controlled concept.

This pilot study is exploring the relative effectiveness of two forms of cerebellar skills training (video-based and booklet-based) and a movement training program (general exercise) and the possible effects on brain physiology.  Subjects have been randomly assigned to video-based or booklet-based cerebellar skills training or to movement training of the same intensity and duration and are being assessed every six weeks to monitor changes in cerebellar functioning, ADHD symptoms, and academic achievement. Subjects will also complete an fMRI at baseline and post-treatment to directly measure changes in cerebellar activation during attention and reading tasks.

This exploratory pilot study should provide preliminary evidence for 5 main issues of interest for the design of a randomized clinical trial:

1. feasibility of implementing cerebellar skills training in a university clinical setting
2. relative palatability, feasibility, and compliance of booklet-based vs. internet based training
3. appropriateness of the movement training program as a comparison intervention
4. descriptive impression of relative effectiveness of cerebellar skills training and movement training  in reducing ADHD symptoms, improving reading skills and neuropsychological function, and addressing cerebellar functioning, including vestibular & ocular-motor function and cerebellar activation during tasks
5. whether change in cerebellar functioning/activation on fMRI brain imaging descriptively correlates with change in the severity of attention and reading problems and performance on neurocognitive tasks.