Digital Health (Sep 2023)

Temporal processing tele-intervention improves language, attention, and memory in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

  • Agnes S Chan,
  • Sophia L Sze,
  • Mei-Chun Cheung

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231203900
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

Read online

Objective Temporal processing is the brain's ability to process rapid successive stimuli, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders showed temporal processing deficits. Empirical evidence suggests that in-person intervention on temporal processing improves various cognitive functions of these children, and the present study aimed to study the effects of temporal processing tele-intervention (TPT) on the cognitive functions of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods Ninety-five children with neurodevelopmental disorders were recruited and randomly assigned to remotely receive either TPT or conventional language remediation (CLR) in 20 parallel group-based intervention sessions once per week. Their cognitive functions were assessed before and after the intervention. Results The TPT group demonstrated a specific and significant improvement in working memory ( p < .001). While there was an overall significant improvement in sustained attention in terms of processing speed after both types of intervention ( p = .006), the positive effects of TPT might be more prominent than that of CLR given the significant pre–post difference after receiving TPT ( p = .012) but not CLR ( p = .21). Regarding rapid naming accuracy which had marginally significant improvement after the intervention ( p = .03), the trend of improvement in TPT ( p = .05) also seemed more apparent than that of CLR ( p = .18). Finally, the TPT group had significant improvement in word knowledge ( p < .001), rapid naming speed ( p < .001), sustained attention in terms of accuracy ( p < .001), and verbal learning and memory ( p < .01) to an extent similar to that of the CLR group. Conclusions These findings suggest that TPT can be a potential intervention for improving cognitive functions in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Clinical trial registration number: NCT05428657 at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ).