Long-term Memory Testing in Children With Typical Development and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Remote Web-based...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are characterized by difficulties in learning and social skills, often linked to genetic factors.
• Animal models have identified learning paradigms for memory deficits, but a gap exists in translating these findings to human clinical practice.
• Previous research has not utilized specific learning paradigms to test for memory deficits in individuals with NDD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of testing paired association learning and long-term memory deficits in children with NDD.
• To evaluate if individuals with NDD exhibit memory deficits comparable to those observed in animal models.
• To bridge the gap between preclinical findings and clinical applications for NDD.

Main Methods:

• Developed a web-based, image-based paired association task (Memory Game) for remote testing.
• Included object recognition and paired association tasks to assess learning and memory.
• Tested learning immediately and 24 hours later to evaluate long-term memory in children with typical development (TD) and NDD.

Main Results:

• Children aged 5-14 with TD (n=128) and NDD (n=57) successfully completed the web-based Memory Game.
• Children with NDD demonstrated deficits in recognition and paired association tasks on initial learning (P<.001 to P=.01).
• NDD group showed faster 24-hour memory decay in recognition (5-9 years) but improved retention in both tasks by 10-14 years.

Conclusions:

• Web-based learning and memory testing is feasible for children with TD and NDD.
• The Memory Game effectively differentiates cognitive performance between TD children and those with NDD.
• This approach facilitates therapeutic target identification for NDD by assessing short- and long-term memory deficits.