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Eyegaze Systems for Spinal Cord Injury: A Feasibility Study

NCT01943656 · Status: UNKNOWN · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 12

Last updated 2013-09-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

As technologies are advancing quickly in the healthcare setting, new solutions have become available helping disable people to enhance their ability to communicate. One of these advances is the introduction of the 'eye gaze system'. Through processing eye movements, this device allows a person to write, speak, use the Internet and even control systems in the home or office. In the currently proposed study we aim to evaluate the psychological and functional effects of using the Tobii™ Eyegaze System by inpatients with tetraplegia who are unable to use arms and legs and sometimes are not able to talk because of an impaired respiratory function.

Volunteering inpatients will be recruited at the National Spinal Injuries Centre. Volunteers will be instructed and trained to use the Tobii™ Eyegaze System. The number of sessions required to successfully master the device depends on the learning curve of the patient. The progress will be documented accordingly. After successful completion of the training and supervised use, the inpatients will be offered the Tobii™ Eyegaze System for unsupervised use, 4 hours a week, for the following 2 months. It is hypothesised that using the Tobii™ Eyegaze System by inpatients with tetraplegia results in improved disability perception and independence scores. For the current feasibility study 12 participants will be recruited and assessed for 'Appraisal of Disability', 'Mood', 'Assistive Technology perception' and 'eyeskills' to instruct the computer system. Positive study outcomes will encourage future studies of the role of the Tobii™ Eyegaze System in both a rehabilitation and home environment.

Conditions

  • Spinal Cord Injury

Interventions

DEVICE

Tobii™ Eyegaze System

Volunteers will be instructed and trained to use the Tobii™ Eyegaze System. The number of sessions required to successfully master the device depends on the learning curve of the patient. The progress will be documented accordingly. After successful completion of the training and supervised use, the inpatients will be offered the Tobii™ Eyegaze System for unsupervised use, 4 hours a week, for the following 2 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Joost J. van Middendorp, MD, PhD · Stoke Mandeville Spinal Foundation

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
16 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-08-31
Primary Completion
2014-02-28
Completion
2014-02-28

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01943656 on ClinicalTrials.gov