Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07345481

Stimulus Equivalence Learning in Acquired Brain Injury.

Stimulus Equivalence Learning (SEL) is a form of learning in which stimuli (such as words, pictures, or sounds) become linked to one another in memory, even though this specific connection has not been directly taught. In a typical SEL task, two relations are taught explicitly (A→B and A→C), and the untrained relation (B→C) is then tested. This indirect relation is not intentionally or consciously learned and is considered a form of implicit learning. The principle of stimulus equivalence learning is still rarely applied in cognitive rehabilitation after acquired brain injury (ABI), with the exception of a few small (N=1) treatment studies that have shown positive effects. However, it remains unclear to what extent ABI may affect the ability to acquire stimulus equivalence.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Acquired Brain Injury (Including Stroke) Brain Diseases Brain Injuries Central Nervous System Diseases Craniocerebral Trauma Nervous System Diseases Trauma, Nervous System Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Klimmendaal Revalidatiespecialisten

Arnhem, Gelderland, 6813 GG, Netherlands

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Edo Grevers, MSc.

CONTACT

[email protected]

+31620839323

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

ABI patients (>3 months post-injury), including stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, encephalitis, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Exclusion criteria

Neurodegenerative disorders Severe psychiatric disorders (including suicidality) Insufficient command of the Dutch language Severe cognitive impairments, aphasia, or visual or hearing problems that make test administration impossible

An additional exclusion criterion for controls was any medical condition that could lead to cognitive impairment beyond normal aging, including stroke, TBI, brain tumor, or other forms of brain injury.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Modified Rutgers Equivalence Learning Task (mRAET)

    Time frame: Day 1

    The original RAET is an experimental paradigm in which faces have to be paired with colored fish. For the current study, this task has been adapted into a more ecologically valid version focused on medication intake, in which relationships are learned between the shape of a pill, the function of the pill, the time of intake, and the (fictional) brand name.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Location Learning Test (LLT)

    Time frame: Day 1

    The LLT is a test that can be used to measure episodic spatial memory for object locations. Normalized scores for immediate and delayed spatial memory are computed (percentiles 0-100).

  2. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV-NL digit span (WAIS-IV-NL DS)

    Time frame: Day 1

    The digit span is a measure of verbal working memory. Normalized standard scores can be computed (range 0-19, mean: 10, standard deviation: 3).

  3. Everyday memory questionnaire-revised (EMQ-R)

    Time frame: Day 1

    This is a 13-item scale of the everyday memory functioning.

  4. Trial Making Test

    Time frame: Day 1

    The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test that measures processing speed, visual attention, and task switching.

  5. Stroop

    Time frame: Day 1

    The Stroop Test is a cognitive task that measures selective attention, processing speed, and the ability to inhibit automatic responses. Participants are shown color words printed in incongruent ink colors (e.g., the word "red" printed in blue ink) and must name the ink color rather than read the word. The interference effect-slower or less accurate responses-reflects challenges in cognitive control and response inhibition.

  6. Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT)

    Time frame: Day 1

    The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, RAVLT) is a verbal learning and memory task in which a list of 15 unrelated words is read aloud over several trials. The participant is asked to recall as many words as possible after each trial, and later again after a delay. The test assesses immediate recall, learning ability, retention, and recognition memory.

  7. Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT)

    Time frame: Day 1

    Participants respond to the location of a black circle that appears in one of four screen positions by pressing the corresponding response key as quickly and accurately as possible. After 12 practice trials, the task consists of 8 blocks of 60 trials.

    Blocks 1-6 contain a fixed repeating sequence of locations (not disclosed to participants). Block 7 contains a different sequence, followed by a return to the original sequence in Block 8. After the task, participants complete questions assessing explicit awareness of the sequence.

    Implicit learning is indicated by faster reaction times in Blocks 6 and 8 (repeated sequence) compared to Block 7 (irregular sequence).

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Edo Grevers, MSc.

CONTACT

[email protected]

+31620839323

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Klimmendaal Revalidatiespecialisten

Network

Collaborators

  • Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging

Registry information

Official study title

The Principle of Stimulus Equivalence Learning and Its Neuropsychological Correlates in Adults With Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 15, 2026
Registry last updated
May 22, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.