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Behavioral Intervention

Cognitive Training for Face Blindness

N/A
Recruiting
Research Sponsored by Harvard Medical School
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Developmental prosopagnosic participants will be included if they are aged 18-65, have lifelong histories of face recognition difficulties that impact their everyday life (i.e., not associated with some event such as a stroke, seizure, etc), and 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.
Be older than 18 years old
Must not have
Participants with a history of a significant neurological disorder including hydrocephalus, stroke, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), severe neuromuscular diseases, or severe hypoxia due to cardiac arrest
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 30 minutes
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will test if practicing with exposure to faces can help people with face blindness (Developmental Prosopagnosia) improve their ability to recognize faces. Holistic face training has shown improvements in face processing for individuals with developmental prosopagnosia.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults aged 18-65 with Developmental Prosopagnosia, a condition where they have lifelong difficulties recognizing faces, impacting daily life. They must perform poorly on specific face recognition tests. Excluded are those with substance dependence, significant neurological disorders, sensory impairments, severe psychiatric conditions or recent participation in other interventions.
What is being tested?
The study is testing a cognitive training program designed to improve the ability to remember and recognize faces in people with Developmental Prosopagnosia. The effectiveness of this 'repetition lag training' will be measured against standard face recognition tests.
What are the potential side effects?
Since the intervention involves cognitive exercises rather than medication or invasive procedures, no physical side effects are expected. Participants may experience mental fatigue or frustration during the training.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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I have always had trouble recognizing faces, not due to an event like a stroke, and I am between 18-65 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:
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I have a history of serious brain or nerve conditions.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~30 minutes
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 30 minutes for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Cambridge Face Memory Test
Face Perception
Face Recollection
Secondary study objectives
Self-reported face recognition

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: holistic face training + repetition lag trainingExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group II: waitlist controlActive Control1 Intervention
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
cognitive training
2020
N/A
~650

Research Highlights

Information in this section is not a recommendation. We encourage patients to speak with their healthcare team when evaluating any treatment decision.
Mechanism Of Action
Side Effect Profile
Prior Approvals
Other Research
Repetition Lag Training, a cognitive training method, aims to improve face recognition in individuals with face blindness (developmental prosopagnosia) by enhancing their ability to recall and recognize faces through repeated exposure and memory exercises. This training involves presenting faces at varying intervals to strengthen memory associations and improve the accuracy of face recollection. For face blindness patients, this is crucial as it can significantly enhance their social interactions and daily functioning by enabling them to recognize familiar faces more reliably, thereby reducing social anxiety and improving their quality of life.
The treatment of visual neglect using feedback of eye movements: a pilot study.Saliency-Aware Subtle Augmentation Improves Human Visual Search Performance in VR.Introspective awareness of oculomotor attentional capture.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Harvard Medical SchoolLead Sponsor
29 Previous Clinical Trials
40,599 Total Patients Enrolled
Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)Lead Sponsor
203 Previous Clinical Trials
1,316,399 Total Patients Enrolled
Boston VA Research Institute, Inc.Lead Sponsor
23 Previous Clinical Trials
10,786 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Repetition Lag Training (Behavioral Intervention) Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT04799340 — N/A
Face Blindness Research Study Groups: waitlist control, holistic face training + repetition lag training
~7 spots leftby May 2025