The Centre for Attention, Learning and Memory (CALM)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Centre for Attention, Learning and Memory (CALM): the study of children with specific learning problems of cognitive origin
IRAS ID
127675
Contact name
Susan Gathercole
Contact email
Research summary
The purpose of the project is to provide a broad-based assessment of cognitive abilities in school-aged children identified as having specific learning or behavioural problems that are likely to have a cognitive origin. Each child will attend a two-hour session at the Centre for Attention, Learning and Memory, where we will: i) assess general abilities including reading, language, and mathematics; ii) provide research-based cognitive tests of attention, learning and memory; and iii) ask the accompanying parent/ carer to complete questionnaires regarding the children’s strengths and difficulties, their everyday cognitive abilities and behaviour, and their health. A primary purpose is to use these data to build a better understanding about the cognitive basis of different profiles of specific learning difficulties. To this end, children will also be invited to have an MRI brain scan, and to provide a DNA sample. These data will not be returned to the referring agent, but will form an important part of our understanding the mechanisms underlying the different cognitive profiles. A secondary purpose of this is that the results of the assessments can be reported back to the child’s referring agent. We will also ask permission from parents for us to contact them again in the future about new research studies; thus a final goal for the project is to provide an interface between scientists interested in understanding the reasons for specific learning difficulties and ways of overcoming them, and the children that practitioners come into contact with.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EE/0157
Date of REC Opinion
27 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion