The Experts below are selected from a list of 309 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Arshya Vahabzadeh - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Digital Attention-Related Augmented-Reality Game: Significant Correlation between Student Game Performance and Validated Clinical Measures of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children today, 2019Co-Authors: Neha U. Keshav, Kevin Vogt-lowell, Arshya Vahabzadeh, Ned T. SahinAbstract:As many as half of school children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), resulting in marked negative academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. The focus of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on real-world data from novel digital sources, and the emergence of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes to reimburse for digital monitoring and neurobehavioral testing suggest an increasing acceptance of the role of technology in augmenting clinical care and research. Empowered Brain is an augmented reality and artificial intelligence-based social-emotional Communication Aid for students with ASD. In this study, student performance on Empowered Brain is correlated to validated clinical measures of ADHD. Seven high school students with a diagnosis of ASD were recruited from a public high school. All students were assessed for severity of ADHD-related symptoms via three clinical gold-standard assessments, namely the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2), and Teacher Report Form (TRF). Students used Empowered Brain over a one-week period. We measured the correlation of student in-game performance (as measured by point- and star-based rewards) relative to the hyperactivity subscale of the ABC (ABC-H), and the ADHD-subscale of the TRF. All seven students completed the study and managed to successfully use Empowered Brain. Students received a culminative total of 32 sessions, an average of 4.6 sessions per student (range 2–8). Student in-game performance demonstrated highly significant correlation relative to ABC-H (points: p = 0.0013; stars: p = 0.0013), and significant correlation to TRF ADHD scores (points: p = 0.012; stars: p = 0.012). No adverse effects were noted among students who used Empowered Brain. New technologies may herald novel ways of identifying and characterizing symptoms of ADHD in student populations. This study provides evidence that Empowered Brain in-game performance correlates with ADHD symptom severity in students with ASD. Larger samples are required to validate these findings, with more diverse participants that can also widen the generalizability of these findings to a broader range of brain conditions that manifest with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Through further research, we may find that such technologies can help us to identify and longitudinally monitor such symptoms, and potentially Aid in severity stratification and digital phenotyping.
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improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in school aged children adolescents and young adults with autism via a digital smartglasses based socioemotional coaching Aid short term uncontrolled pilot study
JMIR mental health, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One-third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. Individuals with dual diagnoses face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD and respond less positively to primary pharmacologic interventions. Nonpharmacologic technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to describe the changes in ADHD-related symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD immediately after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods: We recruited 8 children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD (male to female ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) through a Web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H≥13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H<13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. We then calculated caregiver-reported ABC-H scores at 24 and 48 hours after the session. Results: All 8 participants were able to complete the intervention session. Postintervention ABC-H scores were lower for most participants at 24 hours (n=6, 75%) and for all participants at 48 hours (n=8, 100%). At 24 hours after the session, average participant ABC-H scores decreased by 54.9% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48 hours after the session, ABC-H scores compared with baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence for the possible potential of the Empowered Brain system to reduce ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. This digital smartglasses intervention can potentially be targeted at a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand the clinical importance of these observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with control groups and larger sample sizes. [JMIR Ment Health 2018;5(2):e25]
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improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd symptoms in school aged children adolescents and young adults with autism via a digital smartglasses based socioemotional coaching Aid an efficacy study
bioRxiv, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One-third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. Individuals with dual diagnoses face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD and respond less positively to primary pharmacologic interventions. Nonpharmacologic technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to describe the changes in ADHD-related symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods: We recruited 8 children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD (male to female ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) through a Web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H ≥13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H <13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. We then calculated caregiver-reported ABC-H scores at 24 and 48 hours after the session. Results: All 8 participants were able to complete the intervention session. Postintervention ABC-H scores were lower for most participants at 24 hours (n=6, 75%) and for all participants at 48 hours (n=8, 100%). At 24 hours after the session, average participant ABC-H scores decreased by 54.9% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48 hours after the session, ABC-H scores compared with baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence for the efficacy of the Empowered Brain system in reducing ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. This digital smartglasses intervention can potentially be targeted at a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand the clinical importance of these observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with larger sample sizes.
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improvement of adhd symptoms in school age children and adolescents with autism via a digital smartglasses based socio emotional coaching Aid
bioRxiv, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Introduction People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD) related symptoms, including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. These dually diagnosed individuals face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD, and respond less positively to primary pharmacological interventions. Non-pharmacological technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. This preliminary study describes the changes to ADHD-related symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods Eight children and adults with ASD (M:F ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) were recruited through a web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n = 4, ABC-H ≥ 13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n = 4, ABC-H < 13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. Caregiver-reported ABC-H scores were then calculated at 24- and 48-hours post-session. Results All eight participants were able to complete the intervention session. ABC-H scores were lower post-intervention for most participants at 24 hours (n = 6, 75%), and for all participants at 48 hours (n = 8, 100%). At 24-hours post-session, average ABC-H scores decreased by 54.4% in high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48-hours post-session ABC-H scores compared to baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusion This study provides initial evidence for the efficacy of the Empowered Brain in reducing ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children and adolescents with ASD. There is potential to use this digital smartglasses intervention to target a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand clinical importance of these observed changes, and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with larger sample sizes.
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Safety and Lack of Negative Effects of Wearable Augmented-Reality Social Communication Aid for Children and Adults with Autism
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2018Co-Authors: Ned Sahin, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Arshya VahabzadehAbstract:There is a growing interest in the use of augmented reality (AR) to assist children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little investigation has been conducted into the safety of AR devices, such as smartglasses. The objective of this report was to assess the safety and potential negative effects of the Empowered Brain system, a novel AR smartglasses-based social Communication Aid for people with ASD. The version of the Empowered Brain in this report utilized Google Glass (Google, Mountain View, CA, USA) as its hardware platform. A sequential series of 18 children and adults, aged 4.4 to 21.5 years (mean 12.2 years), with clinically diagnosed ASD of varying severity used the system. Users and caregivers were interviewed about the perceived negative effects and design concerns. Most users were able to wear and use the Empowered Brain (n = 16/18, 89%), with most of them reporting no negative effects (n = 14/16, 87.5%). Caregivers observed no negative effects in users (n = 16/16, 100%). Most users (77.8%) and caregivers (88.9%) had no design concerns. This report found no major negative effects in using an AR smartglasses-based social Communication Aid across a wide age and severity range of people with ASD. Further research is needed to explore longer-term effects of using AR smartglasses in this population.
Rebecca Palmer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A Voice-Input Voice-Output Communication Aid for People With Severe Speech Impairment
IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 2013Co-Authors: Mark S. Hawley, Stuart P. Cunningham, Phil D. Green, Pam Enderby, Rebecca Palmer, Siddharth Sehgal, Peter O'neillAbstract:A new form of augmentative and alternative Communication (AAC) device for people with severe speech impairment-the voice-input voice-output Communication Aid (VIVOCA)-is described. The VIVOCA recognizes the disordered speech of the user and builds messages, which are converted into synthetic speech. System development was carried out employing user-centered design and development methods, which identified and refined key requirements for the device. A novel methodology for building small vocabulary, speaker-dependent automatic speech recognizers with reduced amounts of training data, was applied. Experiments showed that this method is successful in generating good recognition performance (mean accuracy 96%) on highly disordered speech, even when recognition perplexity is increased. The selected message-building technique traded off various factors including speed of message construction and range of available message outputs. The VIVOCA was evaluated in a field trial by individuals with moderate to severe dysarthria and confirmed that they can make use of the device to produce intelligible speech output from disordered speech input. The trial highlighted some issues which limit the performance and usability of the device when applied in real usage situations, with mean recognition accuracy of 67% in these circumstances. These limitations will be addressed in future work.
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development of a voice input voice output Communication Aid vivoca for people with severe dysarthria
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2006Co-Authors: Mark S. Hawley, Phil D. Green, Pam Enderby, Stuart Cunningham, Rebecca PalmerAbstract:This paper describes an approach to the development of a voice-input voice-output Communication Aid (VIVOCA) for people with disordered or unintelligible speech, initially concentrating on people with moderate to severe dysarthria. The VIVOCA is intended to recognize and interpret an individual's disordered speech and speak out an equivalent message in clear synthesized speech. User consultation suggests that such a device would be acceptable and would be useful in Communication situations where speed and intelligibility are crucial. Speech recognition techniques will build on previously successful development of speech-based home control interfaces, and various methods for speech 'translation' are being evaluated.
Mark S. Hawley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A Voice-Input Voice-Output Communication Aid for People With Severe Speech Impairment
IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 2013Co-Authors: Mark S. Hawley, Stuart P. Cunningham, Phil D. Green, Pam Enderby, Rebecca Palmer, Siddharth Sehgal, Peter O'neillAbstract:A new form of augmentative and alternative Communication (AAC) device for people with severe speech impairment-the voice-input voice-output Communication Aid (VIVOCA)-is described. The VIVOCA recognizes the disordered speech of the user and builds messages, which are converted into synthetic speech. System development was carried out employing user-centered design and development methods, which identified and refined key requirements for the device. A novel methodology for building small vocabulary, speaker-dependent automatic speech recognizers with reduced amounts of training data, was applied. Experiments showed that this method is successful in generating good recognition performance (mean accuracy 96%) on highly disordered speech, even when recognition perplexity is increased. The selected message-building technique traded off various factors including speed of message construction and range of available message outputs. The VIVOCA was evaluated in a field trial by individuals with moderate to severe dysarthria and confirmed that they can make use of the device to produce intelligible speech output from disordered speech input. The trial highlighted some issues which limit the performance and usability of the device when applied in real usage situations, with mean recognition accuracy of 67% in these circumstances. These limitations will be addressed in future work.
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Investigating the success factors of expert users to inform device development
2011Co-Authors: Simon Judge, Zoe Clarke, Mark S. HawleyAbstract:Objective: Expert user testing is a well recognised tool within user experience and human computer interaction design. Within the domain of assistive technology device design, however, this technique seems to be little used. It is suggested that studying the success factors of expert assistive technology device users may provide a valuable source of data to inform development of assistive technology devices. This paper presents an example of this technique, within the context of a number of studies carried out by the authors, using the example of preliminary data from a study informing the development of an innovative Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. Main Content: The paper presents a qualitative study whose objective was to influence the design and further development of an innovative voice-input voice-output Communication Aid (Vivoca) which has previously reached proof-of-concept stage. The Vivoca device is designed for people with dysarthria and this dictates a number of specific constraints and considerations. In order to understand how Vivoca could be designed to be used successfully by people with dysarthria, this study aimed to identify the factors associated with expert users' successful use of current AAC devices. In order to allow comparison, the study included users with some understandable speech and also those with no understandable speech. The study procedure was designed to provide a profile of participants' Communication methods and to identify the factors that participants felt made their Communication successful. Results: Preliminary results from the study (currently underway) are presented, including a qualitative analysis of interview data, and data profiling participants' Communication methods and context. Initial data has highlighted the very specific requirements for a Communication Aid design for people with some understandable speech. Conclusion: Study of expert users may provide an effective tool to help inform assistive technology device development.
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development of a voice input voice output Communication Aid vivoca for people with severe dysarthria
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2006Co-Authors: Mark S. Hawley, Phil D. Green, Pam Enderby, Stuart Cunningham, Rebecca PalmerAbstract:This paper describes an approach to the development of a voice-input voice-output Communication Aid (VIVOCA) for people with disordered or unintelligible speech, initially concentrating on people with moderate to severe dysarthria. The VIVOCA is intended to recognize and interpret an individual's disordered speech and speak out an equivalent message in clear synthesized speech. User consultation suggests that such a device would be acceptable and would be useful in Communication situations where speed and intelligibility are crucial. Speech recognition techniques will build on previously successful development of speech-based home control interfaces, and various methods for speech 'translation' are being evaluated.
Ned T. Sahin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Digital Attention-Related Augmented-Reality Game: Significant Correlation between Student Game Performance and Validated Clinical Measures of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children today, 2019Co-Authors: Neha U. Keshav, Kevin Vogt-lowell, Arshya Vahabzadeh, Ned T. SahinAbstract:As many as half of school children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), resulting in marked negative academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. The focus of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on real-world data from novel digital sources, and the emergence of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes to reimburse for digital monitoring and neurobehavioral testing suggest an increasing acceptance of the role of technology in augmenting clinical care and research. Empowered Brain is an augmented reality and artificial intelligence-based social-emotional Communication Aid for students with ASD. In this study, student performance on Empowered Brain is correlated to validated clinical measures of ADHD. Seven high school students with a diagnosis of ASD were recruited from a public high school. All students were assessed for severity of ADHD-related symptoms via three clinical gold-standard assessments, namely the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2), and Teacher Report Form (TRF). Students used Empowered Brain over a one-week period. We measured the correlation of student in-game performance (as measured by point- and star-based rewards) relative to the hyperactivity subscale of the ABC (ABC-H), and the ADHD-subscale of the TRF. All seven students completed the study and managed to successfully use Empowered Brain. Students received a culminative total of 32 sessions, an average of 4.6 sessions per student (range 2–8). Student in-game performance demonstrated highly significant correlation relative to ABC-H (points: p = 0.0013; stars: p = 0.0013), and significant correlation to TRF ADHD scores (points: p = 0.012; stars: p = 0.012). No adverse effects were noted among students who used Empowered Brain. New technologies may herald novel ways of identifying and characterizing symptoms of ADHD in student populations. This study provides evidence that Empowered Brain in-game performance correlates with ADHD symptom severity in students with ASD. Larger samples are required to validate these findings, with more diverse participants that can also widen the generalizability of these findings to a broader range of brain conditions that manifest with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Through further research, we may find that such technologies can help us to identify and longitudinally monitor such symptoms, and potentially Aid in severity stratification and digital phenotyping.
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improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in school aged children adolescents and young adults with autism via a digital smartglasses based socioemotional coaching Aid short term uncontrolled pilot study
JMIR mental health, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One-third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. Individuals with dual diagnoses face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD and respond less positively to primary pharmacologic interventions. Nonpharmacologic technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to describe the changes in ADHD-related symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD immediately after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods: We recruited 8 children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD (male to female ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) through a Web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H≥13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H<13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. We then calculated caregiver-reported ABC-H scores at 24 and 48 hours after the session. Results: All 8 participants were able to complete the intervention session. Postintervention ABC-H scores were lower for most participants at 24 hours (n=6, 75%) and for all participants at 48 hours (n=8, 100%). At 24 hours after the session, average participant ABC-H scores decreased by 54.9% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48 hours after the session, ABC-H scores compared with baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence for the possible potential of the Empowered Brain system to reduce ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. This digital smartglasses intervention can potentially be targeted at a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand the clinical importance of these observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with control groups and larger sample sizes. [JMIR Ment Health 2018;5(2):e25]
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improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd symptoms in school aged children adolescents and young adults with autism via a digital smartglasses based socioemotional coaching Aid an efficacy study
bioRxiv, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One-third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. Individuals with dual diagnoses face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD and respond less positively to primary pharmacologic interventions. Nonpharmacologic technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to describe the changes in ADHD-related symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods: We recruited 8 children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD (male to female ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) through a Web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H ≥13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H <13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. We then calculated caregiver-reported ABC-H scores at 24 and 48 hours after the session. Results: All 8 participants were able to complete the intervention session. Postintervention ABC-H scores were lower for most participants at 24 hours (n=6, 75%) and for all participants at 48 hours (n=8, 100%). At 24 hours after the session, average participant ABC-H scores decreased by 54.9% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48 hours after the session, ABC-H scores compared with baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence for the efficacy of the Empowered Brain system in reducing ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. This digital smartglasses intervention can potentially be targeted at a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand the clinical importance of these observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with larger sample sizes.
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improvement of adhd symptoms in school age children and adolescents with autism via a digital smartglasses based socio emotional coaching Aid
bioRxiv, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Introduction People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD) related symptoms, including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. These dually diagnosed individuals face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD, and respond less positively to primary pharmacological interventions. Non-pharmacological technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. This preliminary study describes the changes to ADHD-related symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods Eight children and adults with ASD (M:F ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) were recruited through a web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n = 4, ABC-H ≥ 13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n = 4, ABC-H < 13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. Caregiver-reported ABC-H scores were then calculated at 24- and 48-hours post-session. Results All eight participants were able to complete the intervention session. ABC-H scores were lower post-intervention for most participants at 24 hours (n = 6, 75%), and for all participants at 48 hours (n = 8, 100%). At 24-hours post-session, average ABC-H scores decreased by 54.4% in high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48-hours post-session ABC-H scores compared to baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusion This study provides initial evidence for the efficacy of the Empowered Brain in reducing ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children and adolescents with ASD. There is potential to use this digital smartglasses intervention to target a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand clinical importance of these observed changes, and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with larger sample sizes.
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safety and lack of negative effects of wearable augmented reality social Communication Aid for children and adults with autism
bioRxiv, 2017Co-Authors: Ned T. Sahin, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Arshya VahabzadehAbstract:There is growing interest in the use of augmented reality (AR) to assist children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little investigation has been conducted into the safety of devices for AR such as smartglasses. The objective of this report was to assess the safety and negative effects of the Brain Power Autism System (BPAS), a novel AR smartglasses-based social Communication Aid for people with ASD. A sequential series of 18 children and adults aged 4.4 to 21.5 years (mean 12.2 years) with clinically diagnosed ASD of varying severity used the BPAS. Users and caregivers were interviewed about perceived negative effects and design concerns. Most users were able to wear and use the BPAS (n=16/18, 89%), with most of them reporting no negative effects (n=14/16, 87.5%). Two users reported temporary negative effects: eye strain, dizziness, and nasal discomfort. Caregivers observed no negative effects in users (n=16/16, 100%). Most users (77.8%) and caregivers (88.9%) had no design concerns. This report found no major negative effects in using an AR smartglasses-based social Communication Aid across a wide age and severity range of people with ASD. Further research is needed to explore longer-term effects of using AR smartglasses in this population.
Neha U. Keshav - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Digital Attention-Related Augmented-Reality Game: Significant Correlation between Student Game Performance and Validated Clinical Measures of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children today, 2019Co-Authors: Neha U. Keshav, Kevin Vogt-lowell, Arshya Vahabzadeh, Ned T. SahinAbstract:As many as half of school children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), resulting in marked negative academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. The focus of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on real-world data from novel digital sources, and the emergence of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes to reimburse for digital monitoring and neurobehavioral testing suggest an increasing acceptance of the role of technology in augmenting clinical care and research. Empowered Brain is an augmented reality and artificial intelligence-based social-emotional Communication Aid for students with ASD. In this study, student performance on Empowered Brain is correlated to validated clinical measures of ADHD. Seven high school students with a diagnosis of ASD were recruited from a public high school. All students were assessed for severity of ADHD-related symptoms via three clinical gold-standard assessments, namely the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2), and Teacher Report Form (TRF). Students used Empowered Brain over a one-week period. We measured the correlation of student in-game performance (as measured by point- and star-based rewards) relative to the hyperactivity subscale of the ABC (ABC-H), and the ADHD-subscale of the TRF. All seven students completed the study and managed to successfully use Empowered Brain. Students received a culminative total of 32 sessions, an average of 4.6 sessions per student (range 2–8). Student in-game performance demonstrated highly significant correlation relative to ABC-H (points: p = 0.0013; stars: p = 0.0013), and significant correlation to TRF ADHD scores (points: p = 0.012; stars: p = 0.012). No adverse effects were noted among students who used Empowered Brain. New technologies may herald novel ways of identifying and characterizing symptoms of ADHD in student populations. This study provides evidence that Empowered Brain in-game performance correlates with ADHD symptom severity in students with ASD. Larger samples are required to validate these findings, with more diverse participants that can also widen the generalizability of these findings to a broader range of brain conditions that manifest with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Through further research, we may find that such technologies can help us to identify and longitudinally monitor such symptoms, and potentially Aid in severity stratification and digital phenotyping.
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improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in school aged children adolescents and young adults with autism via a digital smartglasses based socioemotional coaching Aid short term uncontrolled pilot study
JMIR mental health, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One-third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. Individuals with dual diagnoses face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD and respond less positively to primary pharmacologic interventions. Nonpharmacologic technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to describe the changes in ADHD-related symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD immediately after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods: We recruited 8 children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD (male to female ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) through a Web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H≥13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H<13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. We then calculated caregiver-reported ABC-H scores at 24 and 48 hours after the session. Results: All 8 participants were able to complete the intervention session. Postintervention ABC-H scores were lower for most participants at 24 hours (n=6, 75%) and for all participants at 48 hours (n=8, 100%). At 24 hours after the session, average participant ABC-H scores decreased by 54.9% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48 hours after the session, ABC-H scores compared with baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence for the possible potential of the Empowered Brain system to reduce ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. This digital smartglasses intervention can potentially be targeted at a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand the clinical importance of these observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with control groups and larger sample sizes. [JMIR Ment Health 2018;5(2):e25]
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improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd symptoms in school aged children adolescents and young adults with autism via a digital smartglasses based socioemotional coaching Aid an efficacy study
bioRxiv, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One-third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. Individuals with dual diagnoses face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD and respond less positively to primary pharmacologic interventions. Nonpharmacologic technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to describe the changes in ADHD-related symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods: We recruited 8 children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD (male to female ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) through a Web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H ≥13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n=4, ABC-H <13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. We then calculated caregiver-reported ABC-H scores at 24 and 48 hours after the session. Results: All 8 participants were able to complete the intervention session. Postintervention ABC-H scores were lower for most participants at 24 hours (n=6, 75%) and for all participants at 48 hours (n=8, 100%). At 24 hours after the session, average participant ABC-H scores decreased by 54.9% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48 hours after the session, ABC-H scores compared with baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence for the efficacy of the Empowered Brain system in reducing ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. This digital smartglasses intervention can potentially be targeted at a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand the clinical importance of these observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with larger sample sizes.
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improvement of adhd symptoms in school age children and adolescents with autism via a digital smartglasses based socio emotional coaching Aid
bioRxiv, 2018Co-Authors: Arshya Vahabzadeh, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Ned T. SahinAbstract:Introduction People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD) related symptoms, including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. One third of ASD cases may be complicated by the presence of ADHD. These dually diagnosed individuals face greater barriers to accessing treatment for ADHD, and respond less positively to primary pharmacological interventions. Non-pharmacological technology-Aided tools for hyperactivity and inattention in people with ASD are being developed, although research into their efficacy and safety remains limited. This preliminary study describes the changes to ADHD-related symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD after use of the Empowered Brain system, a behavioral and social Communication Aid for ASD running on augmented reality smartglasses. Methods Eight children and adults with ASD (M:F ratio of 7:1, mean age 15 years, range 11.7-20.5 years) were recruited through a web-based research signup form. The baseline score on the hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), a measure of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, determined their classification into a high ADHD-related symptom group (n = 4, ABC-H ≥ 13) and a low ADHD-related symptom group (n = 4, ABC-H < 13). All participants received an intervention with Empowered Brain, where they used smartglasses-based social Communication and behavioral modules while interacting with their caregiver. Caregiver-reported ABC-H scores were then calculated at 24- and 48-hours post-session. Results All eight participants were able to complete the intervention session. ABC-H scores were lower post-intervention for most participants at 24 hours (n = 6, 75%), and for all participants at 48 hours (n = 8, 100%). At 24-hours post-session, average ABC-H scores decreased by 54.4% in high ADHD symptom group and by 20% in the low ADHD symptom group. At 48-hours post-session ABC-H scores compared to baseline decreased by 56.4% in the high ADHD symptom group and by 66.3% in the low ADHD symptom group. Conclusion This study provides initial evidence for the efficacy of the Empowered Brain in reducing ADHD-related symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, in school-aged children and adolescents with ASD. There is potential to use this digital smartglasses intervention to target a broader array of mental health conditions that exhibit transdiagnostic attentional and social Communication deficits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Further research is required to understand clinical importance of these observed changes, and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with larger sample sizes.
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Safety and Lack of Negative Effects of Wearable Augmented-Reality Social Communication Aid for Children and Adults with Autism
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2018Co-Authors: Ned Sahin, Neha U. Keshav, Joseph P Salisbury, Arshya VahabzadehAbstract:There is a growing interest in the use of augmented reality (AR) to assist children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little investigation has been conducted into the safety of AR devices, such as smartglasses. The objective of this report was to assess the safety and potential negative effects of the Empowered Brain system, a novel AR smartglasses-based social Communication Aid for people with ASD. The version of the Empowered Brain in this report utilized Google Glass (Google, Mountain View, CA, USA) as its hardware platform. A sequential series of 18 children and adults, aged 4.4 to 21.5 years (mean 12.2 years), with clinically diagnosed ASD of varying severity used the system. Users and caregivers were interviewed about the perceived negative effects and design concerns. Most users were able to wear and use the Empowered Brain (n = 16/18, 89%), with most of them reporting no negative effects (n = 14/16, 87.5%). Caregivers observed no negative effects in users (n = 16/16, 100%). Most users (77.8%) and caregivers (88.9%) had no design concerns. This report found no major negative effects in using an AR smartglasses-based social Communication Aid across a wide age and severity range of people with ASD. Further research is needed to explore longer-term effects of using AR smartglasses in this population.