Brain-Computer Interface-based Programme for the Treatment of ASD/ADHD

Summary

This project involves creating a novel and personalised BCI training system that targets social and communication difficulties, and inattentive symptoms problems often found in ASD/ADHD children. 20 participants between the age of 8 and 12 will be recruited and they will undergo 24 training sessions over an 8-week period. During these sessions, the children will play a computer game interface specifically designed to train attention and facial and emotional recognition, while using our BCI device. To further reinforce the treatment, the training system has been enhanced with the inclusion of an eye-tracker to target the lack of preferential eye contact that children with ASD exhibit. The investigators hypothesize that participants will show improvements in social skills and attention post treatment.

Conditions

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorders

Interventions

OTHER

Intervention Group

Each participant will first need to master a simple concentration task before moving on to play a series of training tasks. An eye gaze tracker connected to the computer will detect the location of eye gaze on the computer screen. The game progresses according to how well the participant can focus their eye gaze on correct objects and sustain their attention. Each task employs the BCI system, and is controlled by the child's concentration. As the child attends to activities on a computer screen, their EEG waves will be recorded simultaneously via the EEG sensors through Bluetooth technology.

OTHER

Control Group

Participants will wait for 8 weeks before training intervention begins. Each participant will first need to master a simple concentration task before moving on to play a series of training tasks. An eye gaze tracker connected to the computer will detect the location of eye gaze on the computer screen. The game progresses according to how well the participant can focus their eye gaze on correct objects and sustain their attention. Each task employs the BCI system, and is controlled by the child's concentration. As the child attends to activities on a computer screen, their EEG waves will be recorded simultaneously via the EEG sensors through Bluetooth technology.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institute of Mental Health, Singapore

  collaborator OTHER

• Agency for Science, Technology and Research

  collaborator OTHER

• Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Choon Guan Lim · Institute of Mental Health, Singapore

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-05-31

Primary Completion

2018-03-31

Completion

2018-10-31

Countries

• Singapore

Study Locations