Study Protocol: Cognitive, Emotional and Social Stimulation Programme for Low-SES Children.

Summary

Latin America and the Caribbean exhibit high rates of poverty and social exclusion, where a significant portion of the population faces challenges in meeting basic needs. This socioeconomic vulnerability exacerbates environmental violence and its associated consequences. Recognizing that contexts of poverty and social exclusion can adversely impact children's cognitive and emotional development, this research protocol aims to address these challenges. It proposes a cognitive and emotional stimulation program, complemented by an intervention targeting teachers and caregivers, grounded in neuroeducational principles. The overarching goal is to enhance children's cognitive and academic performance, thereby improving their long-term quality of life. Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in an experimental group compared to a control group. A sample of more than 500 children from primary schools in disadvantaged contexts in Colombia A digital stimulation programme, designed and supervised by neuropsychologists, will be implemented within the classrooms and will be complemented with educational sessions in neuroeducation for teachers and caregivers, with weekly activities for 3 months. Three evaluations will be carried out: 1) pre-intervention, 2) post-intervention and 3) follow-up. During follow-up, the control group will receive the stimulation programme. Conclusions: The researchers anticipate a positive impact on the cognitive, emotional and academic performance of these children, providing evidence and support for the long-term creation of a tested and validated cognitive and emotional stimulation programme that could be integrated into the academic curriculum of educational centres in disadvantaged contexts.

Conditions

• Child Development
• Socioeconomic Factors

Interventions

OTHER

Cognitive and emotional stimulation

Continuous cognitive and emotional stimulation is provided in the school setting.

OTHER

Random activities

Random activities will be carried out for the control group that will not include the improvement of cognitive functions.

BEHAVIORAL

Training for parents and teachers

Training in neuroeducation and learning strategies focused on brain function will be provided for teachers and parents, with the level of depth appropriate for each group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cognifit

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

  collaborator OTHER

• Universidad Loyola Andalucia

  collaborator OTHER

• Universidad de San Buenaventura

  collaborator OTHER

• Neuronup S.L.

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Joan Deus Yela

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Joan Deus-Yela, PhD · Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

• Joaquín Ibáñez-Alfonso, PhD · Universidad Loyola Andalucia

• José Barroso-Tristan, PhD · University of Seville

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

9 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-01-26

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2028-01-30

Countries

• Colombia

Study Locations