Visual-attentional training to help Chinese reading in kids with dyslexia
Official title: Testing the Visual-Attentional Pathway in Chinese Developmental Dyslexia: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Validate a Neurocognitive Cascade Model of Remediation
Run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · NCT07707700 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether training a fast visual-attentional skill with video game exercises can help children with dyslexia read Chinese better.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 7 Years to 10 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 76 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hong Kong) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2028 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | July 16, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07707700 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Children with dyslexia who read Chinese, have literacy at or below the 10th percentile, non-verbal IQ ≥ 85, and normal or corrected vision.
✕Probably not a fit
Children who do not show improvements in visual-attentional skills or reading despite training may not experience benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The study aims to resolve whether improving a core visual-attentional ability can causally enhance reading in children with developmental dyslexia who read Chinese. Participants will be assigned to an action video game intervention or an active control using a non-action game, allowing comparison of effects on reading and related skills. Eligibility includes a formal dyslexia diagnosis, lower literacy percentile, reasonable non-verbal IQ, and normal or corrected vision. The trial is conducted at the Optometry Research Clinic in Hong Kong and led by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The approach is grounded in pilot data suggesting a causal link between visual processing and reading performance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children may experience improved reading abilities and better academic and personal well-being through a new, vision-based intervention.
How similar studies have gone: Prior pilot work supported the plausibility of a causal link, but larger randomized testing in this specific intervention is novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Formal diagnosis of dyslexia by an educational or clinical psychologist using the Hong Kong Test of Specific Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing (HKT-SpLD),39 with a literacy composite score at or below the 10th percentile. * Non-verbal IQ score ≥ 85 on Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (both eyes logMAR 0.1 or better). Exclusion Criteria: History of neurological or psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy, psychosis).
Where it's running
-
Optometry Research Clinic
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Tsz Wing Leung, PhD
- Email: jeffrey.TW.leung@polyu.edu.hk
- Phone: +852 27664268
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Enhancing Letter-Speech Sound Learning With Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation
Researchers test whether transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) helps adults learn letter-sound mappings for reading.
-
Testing how people control their speech in different feedback situations
This study tests how adults with and without speech or reading differences use auditory and somatosensory feedback to control their speech.
-
Combined training to improve thinking skills and emotional control for children with ADHD, dyslexia, or autism
This program will test whether a combined training that targets both 'cool' thinking skills (like working memory) and 'hot' emotion-related control can help primary-school children aged 6–11 with ADHD, dyslexia (SpLD), or autism.
-
Training to improve reading skills in children with dyslexia
This study tests if rhythmic sound training can help improve reading skills in children aged 7 to 9 with dyslexia.
-
Personalized tools to help students with reading difficulties
This study is testing a new online tool that helps students with reading difficulties, especially those with dyslexia, by letting them customize how text looks and sounds to see if it improves their reading and writing skills.
-
Assessing language and reading disorder risks in children
This study is testing new online tools to see if they can help identify preschool and primary school kids at risk for language and learning disorders, especially those who speak multiple languages.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.