Executive Functions (EF)DFEENCT07654920
Development of Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents: Establishment of a Reference Norm for the Assessment of Executive Functions in Ecological Settings (eEFEe Tool)
A study testing eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized Testing in people with Executive Functions (EF) and Cognitive Development, run by Centre Mutualiste de Rééducation et de Réadaptation Fonctionnelles de Kerpape at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
The aim of this interventional study is to develop a normative reference for the ecological assessment of executive functions in children and adolescents using the eEFEe tool. Executive functions are high-level cognitive abilities that support planning, behavioral regulation, and problem solving in everyday life. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Executive Functions (EF), Cognitive Development, Normative Data
- What is being tested?
- eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized Testing
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 144 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 6 Feb 2024to 12 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 7 to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 7 to 18 years 11 months
- Enrolled in regular schools in France since early primary education
- Assent provided by child/adolescent and consent by parents/legal guardians; or consent by participant if 18 years old
- Covered by the French national health insurance system
- Provided written consent
- Have a child participating in the DFEE study
Who cannot join
- Significant motor impairments preventing completion of the eEFEe assessment
- Insufficient spoken French proficiency preventing collection of sociodemographic data
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The aim of this interventional study is to develop a normative reference for the ecological assessment of executive functions in children and adolescents using the eEFEe tool.
Executive functions are high-level cognitive abilities that support planning, behavioral regulation, and problem solving in everyday life. Current neuropsychological tests often fail to reflect real-life functioning. The eEFEe tool was designed to assess these abilities through tasks that simulate daily situations.
Read more
The study will include healthy children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years, enrolled in regular schools in France. Participants will complete the eEFEe ecological tasks, as well as standardized cognitive and social cognition assessments, and parents will provide sociodemographic information.
Results from this study will be used to establish reference norms for the eEFEe tool and to examine how executive function performance varies according to age, cognitive development, and sociodemographic factors. These normative data will later support the clinical use of the eEFEe tool to better identify executive difficulties in children and adolescents.
- Being tested
- eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized Testing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized TestingBehavioural
Children/Adolescents: Complete the eEFEe ecological executive function tasks (six daily-life tasks adapted to age) and standardized cognitive and social cognition tests (NEPSY-II, WISC-V/WAIS, Rey Figure, etc.). Sessions are video-recorded for later scoring.
Parents/Legal Guardians: Complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and the BRIEF Parent Form to assess executive-related behaviors in daily life.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| eEFEe Assessment - Children/Adolescents and Parents | Experimental | Children/Adolescents (7-18 years): Complete standardized cognitive and social cognition assessments and the eEFEe ecological executive function tasks. The ecological assessment includes six real-life tasks adapted to age and is video-recorded for later scoring of successes, errors, and verbal/non-verbal behaviors.
Parents/Legal Guardians: Complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and the BRIEF Parent Form to provide information on family, schooling, and child behavior related to executive functions. Receives: Behavioral: eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized Testing |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of successful actions on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
The eEFEe consists of six everyday tasks, adapted for different age groups in line with clinical and educational practices in the field. Each task is divided into several steps. Each step is scored according to the level of completion.
An overall success score is assigned to each task. A high score indicates that the task has been successfully completed, while a low score indicates partial completion or failure to complete the task.
The tasks in question are:
- Document sorting
- Board game
- Swimming bag and school bag
- Vidéo game
- Cooking
- DIY
Measured: "eEFEe" visit : Between Day 0 and Day 60
Number of errors on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
Number of errors on the eEFEe test. The number of errors that occurred during the task is recorded. These are categorised into two types: action errors and behavioural errors.
Action errors include omissions, incomplete actions, additional actions, sequencing errors and the identification of errors without correction.
Behavioural errors include difficult decisions, dependency, failure to take advantage of assistance provided, lack of initiative, distractibility, lack of engagement with the environment, dangerous behaviour, inappropriate behaviour and interventions by the therapist.
Test tasks :
- Document sorting
- Board game
- Swimming bag and school bag
- Vidéo game
- Cooking
- DIY
Measured: "eEFEe" visit : Between Day 0 and Day 60
Performance on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
administration time for each assessment on the eEFEe test.
Test tasks :
- Document sorting
- Board game
- Swimming bag and school bag
- Vidéo game
- Cooking
- DIY
Measured: 'eEFEe' visit: between Day 0 and Day 60
Performance on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
Assessment of task habituation For each task, the participant is asked whether they usually perform it in their daily life. They can answer either "yes" or "no."
Test tasks :
- Document sorting
- Board game
- Swimming bag and school bag
- Vidéo game
- Cooking
- DIY
Measured: 'eEFEe' visit: between Day 0 and Day 60
Secondary outcomes (4)
Correlation with social cognition assessments
Relationship between eEFEe task performance and standardized social cognition tests
Measured: At the end of the study, when all the data have been collected
Correlation with standardized cognitive assessments
Relationship between eEFEe task performance and standardized cognitive tests
Measured: At the end of the study, when all the data have been collected
Influence of sociodemographic factors
Collection of sociodemographic data :
- Socio-professional category
- Parents' educational level
- Child's age
- Birth order and sibling size
- Family structure
With the aim of correlating the results obtained on the eEFEe test with sociodemographic data (socio-professional category, parents' educational level, age, birth order and number of siblings, and family structure). Simple and adjusted linear regressions will be performed (Bravais-Pearson correlation).
Measured: Baseline Visit : Day 0
Age-related performance differences
Collection of participants' age in order to assign them to an age category. With the aim of comparing the results obtained with the eEFEe tool across age groups. Means and medians of the scores obtained at the two evaluations will be compared using Student's t-tests or ANOVA when data follow a normal distribution, or using Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests when normality is not met.
Measured: Baseline visit : Day 0
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Jun 2026
- Study start6 Feb 2024
- Primary completion2 Dec 2025
- Study completion12 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Executive Functions (EF)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 144 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Mutualiste de Rééducation et de Réadaptation Fonctionnelles de Kerpape
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07654920
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023-A02174-41
- Acronym
- DFEE
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Development of Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents: Establishment of a Reference Norm for the Assessment of Executive Functions in Ecological Settings (eEFEe Tool)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07654920
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DFEE / 2023-A02174-41
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 144 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Mutualiste de Rééducation et de Réadaptation Fonctionnelles de KerpapeUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 6 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 2 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 12 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this interventional study is to develop a normative reference for the ecological assessment of executive functions in children and adolescents using the eEFEe tool.
Executive functions are high-level cognitive abilities that support planning, behavioral regulation, and problem solving in everyday life. Current neuropsychological tests often fail to reflect real-life functioning. The eEFEe tool was designed to assess these abilities through tasks that simulate daily situations.
The study will include healthy children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years, enrolled in regular schools in France. Participants will complete the eEFEe ecological tasks, as well as standardized cognitive and social cognition assessments, and parents will provide sociodemographic information.
Results from this study will be used to establish reference norms for the eEFEe tool and to examine how executive function performance varies according to age, cognitive development, and sociodemographic factors. These normative data will later support the clinical use of the eEFEe tool to better identify executive difficulties in children and adolescents.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| eEFEe Assessment - Children/Adolescents and Parents | Experimental | Behavioral: eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized TestingChildren/Adolescents (7-18 years): Complete standardized cognitive and social cognition assessments and the eEFEe ecological executive function tasks. The ecological assessment includes six real-life tasks adapted to age and is video-recorded for later scoring of successes, errors, and verbal/non-verbal behaviors. Parents/Legal Guardians: Complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and the BRIEF Parent Form to provide information on family, schooling, and child behavior related to executive functions. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Aged 7 to 18 years 11 months
- Enrolled in regular schools in France since early primary education
- Assent provided by child/adolescent and consent by parents/legal guardians; or consent by participant if 18 years old
- Covered by the French national health insurance system
- Provided written consent
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Significant motor impairments preventing completion of the eEFEe assessment
- Insufficient spoken French proficiency preventing collection of sociodemographic data
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized TestingChildren/Adolescents: Complete the eEFEe ecological executive function tasks (six daily-life tasks adapted to age) and standardized cognitive and social cognition tests (NEPSY-II, WISC-V/WAIS, Rey Figure, etc.). Sessions are video-recorded for later scoring. Parents/Legal Guardians: Complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and the BRIEF Parent Form to assess executive-related behaviors in daily life. | Behavioural | eEFEe Assessment - Children/Adolescents and Parents |
Primary outcome
Number of successful actions on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
Time frame: "eEFEe" visit : Between Day 0 and Day 60
The eEFEe consists of six everyday tasks, adapted for different age groups in line with clinical and educational practices in the field. Each task is divided into several steps. Each step is scored according to the level of completion. An overall success score is assigned to each task. A high score indicates that the task has been successfully completed, while a low score indicates partial completion or failure to complete the task. The tasks in question are: * Document sorting * Board game * Swimming bag and school bag * Vidéo game * Cooking * DIY
Number of errors on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
Time frame: "eEFEe" visit : Between Day 0 and Day 60
Number of errors on the eEFEe test. The number of errors that occurred during the task is recorded. These are categorised into two types: action errors and behavioural errors. Action errors include omissions, incomplete actions, additional actions, sequencing errors and the identification of errors without correction. Behavioural errors include difficult decisions, dependency, failure to take advantage of assistance provided, lack of initiative, distractibility, lack of engagement with the environment, dangerous behaviour, inappropriate behaviour and interventions by the therapist. Test tasks : * Document sorting * Board game * Swimming bag and school bag * Vidéo game * Cooking * DIY
Performance on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
Time frame: 'eEFEe' visit: between Day 0 and Day 60
administration time for each assessment on the eEFEe test. Test tasks : * Document sorting * Board game * Swimming bag and school bag * Vidéo game * Cooking * DIY
Performance on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test)
Time frame: 'eEFEe' visit: between Day 0 and Day 60
Assessment of task habituation For each task, the participant is asked whether they usually perform it in their daily life. They can answer either "yes" or "no." Test tasks : * Document sorting * Board game * Swimming bag and school bag * Vidéo game * Cooking * DIY
4 secondary outcomes
Correlation with social cognition assessments
Time frame: At the end of the study, when all the data have been collected
Correlation with standardized cognitive assessments
Time frame: At the end of the study, when all the data have been collected
Influence of sociodemographic factors
Time frame: Baseline Visit : Day 0
Age-related performance differences
Time frame: Baseline visit : Day 0
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Jun 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing eEFEe Ecological Assessment and Standardized Testing in people with Executive Functions (EF) and Cognitive Development, run by Centre Mutualiste de Rééducation et de Réadaptation Fonctionnelles de Kerpape at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of successful actions on ecological assessments of executive functions in children (eEFEe test) (time frame: "eEFEe" visit : Between Day 0 and Day 60). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Jun 2026.