NCT05332912

Assessing Malleability of Spatial Abilities in Down Syndrome

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 14 October 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Spatial Ability Experience in Down Syndrome in 84 participants. Completed in 31 March 2025.

Timeline

1 April 2021

Primary endpoint
10 August 2024

31 March 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	none
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	84
Start date	1 April 2021
Primary completion	10 August 2024
Estimated completion	31 March 2025
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Spatial Ability Experience

Conditions studied

• Down Syndrome — all drugs for Down Syndrome →

Sponsor

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Who can join

Adults 4 to 25, any sex, with Down Syndrome. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Change in Mental Rotation Ability at 8 Weeks Primary · Following 8 weeks of experience training.

The Mental Rotation Assessment was used to assess ability to match objects rotated at varying degrees from a standard. Number of correct matches out of 18 possible matches over all rotations (excluding 0 degrees) was used as a measure of performance. Minimum score = 0. Maximum score = 18. Higher scores reflect better performance. Change in Mental Rotation Ability was calculated by subtracting Baseline (Time 1) Assessment scores from 8 Week (Time 2) Assessment scores.

Group	Value	95% CI
Typically Developing Children Immediate Intervention	0.0	± 0.8
Typically Developing Children Delayed Intervention	-0.6	± 3.3
Down Syndrome Participants Immediate Intervention	.82	± 2.8

Change in Mental Rotation Ability at 16 Weeks Primary · Following 16 weeks of experience training.

The Mental Rotation Assessment was used to assess ability to match objects rotated at varying degrees from a standard. Number of correct matches out of 18 possible matches over all rotations (excluding 0 degrees) was used as a measure of performance. Minimum score = 0. Maximum score = 18. Higher scores reflect better performance. Change in Mental Rotation Ability was calculated by subtracting Baseline (Time 1) Assessment scores from 8 Week (Time 3) Assessment scores.

Group	Value	95% CI
Typically Developing Children Immediate Intervention	1.3	± 2.3
Typically Developing Children Delayed Intervention	1.0	± 2.2
Down Syndrome Participants Immediate Intervention	0.8	± 2.9

Change in Perspective Taking Ability at 8 Weeks Primary · Following 8 weeks of experience training.

Measure Description: Participants received 8 trials in which they judged another's point of view. Scores could range from 0 to 24. . Change in Perspective Taking Ability was calculated by subtracting Baseline (Time 1) Assessment scores from 8 Week (Time 2) Assessment scores.

Group	Value	95% CI
Typically Developing Children Immediate Intervention	0.9	± 3.1
Typically Developing Children Delayed Intervention	2.5	± 4.1
Down Syndrome Participants Immediate Intervention	1.6	± 4.0

Change in Perspective Taking Ability at 16 Weeks Primary · Following 16 weeks of experience training.

Participants received 8 trials in which they judged another's point of view. Scores could range from 0 to 24. Change in Perspective Taking Ability was calculated by subtracting Baseline (Time 1) Assessment scores from 16 Week (Time 3) Assessment scores.

Group	Value	95% CI
Typically Developing Children Immediate Intervention	1.0	± 3.7
Typically Developing Children Delayed Intervention	1.6	± 5.1
Down Syndrome Participants Immediate Intervention	2.4	± 5.1

Sponsor's own description

Based on available literature and our own preliminary research, the researchers have concluded that persons with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit difficulties in utilizing the specific spatial abilities of mental rotation and perspective taking and performing complex spatial tasks such as wayfinding and environmental learning. A weakness in spatial abilities may have many direct applications to daily life, ranging from activities such as tying shoes to using hand tools and navigating the environment. Spatial abilities also serve as a cognitive foundation for many other complex skills such as solving mathematical problems and using spatial language for giving and receiving directions. Moreover, spatial abilities are used in a variety of specialty jobs such as grocery stocking, packaging, and assembling, which are among the most commonly reported jobs for adults with DS. Hence, a new focus on spatial ability and its modifiability in persons with DS is clearly warranted. The primary goal of the research proposed in this application is to evaluate the malleability of mental rotation and perspective taking in people with DS through providing intentional experience with numerous spatial activities. Two groups of participants will be tested over the course of the project: adolescents and young adults with DS and typically developing (TD) children. Following an initial evaluation of performance on the two abilities, participants will receive up to eight sessions of spatial activity experience utilizing puzzle construction, block building, and computer search tasks. Following the experience sessions, spatial abilities of participants will be re-evaluated. These data will be used to investigate two specific aims. First, the researchers investigate whether spatial abilities of persons with DS can be modified by experience with spatial activities. Second, the researchers investigate whether the degree of modification observed for persons with DS can reduce performance differences between them and TD children. The researchers also consider whether performance on the PPVT, Raven's matrices, and Chronological Age are associated with any benefits from spatial ability experience.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.