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Yi YJ, Heidari Matin N, Brannan D, Johnson M, Nguyen A. Design Considerations for Virtual Reality Intervention for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review. HERD-HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH & DESIGN JOURNAL 2024:19375867241271434. [PMID: 39155566 DOI: 10.1177/19375867241271434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This systematic review aims to explore virtual reality (VR) applications for rehabilitation purposes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), identify their effects on rehabilitation outcomes, explore themes to consider in VR intervention design, and provide guidance for designers and researchers in creating therapeutic environments using VR technology. BACKGROUND VR has gained increasing attention in healthcare settings to assist in achieving rehabilitation goals for people with IDD. VR is particularly advantageous since it simulates the real world while providing controllable, safe, and versatile environments. It is necessary to expand the current body of knowledge on VR intervention's outcomes by synthesizing further information on VR application characteristics as well as identifying design considerations regarding feasibility, usability, safety, and other aspects that will benefit future VR intervention design and research. METHODS The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framed the current review. Multiple databases were searched to identify studies published between 2001 and 2023. The review qualitatively organized VR environment design considerations according to three themes: feasibility, usability, and safety. RESULTS This review included 27 articles and included 868 participants. The overall findings indicated that VR interventions are promising in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes among people with IDD, such as physical, cognitive, emotional, and functional independence domains. CONCLUSION This review provides design recommendations to create effective, usable, and safe VR interventions for individuals with IDD. The suggested design implications should be applied with the awareness that VR is a relatively emerging technology with rapidly evolving features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Ji Yi
- Department of Interior Design, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | - Darin Brannan
- Medical Team, Bethany Children's Health Center, Bethany, OK, USA
| | - Michael Johnson
- Medical Team, Bethany Children's Health Center, Bethany, OK, USA
| | - Anna Nguyen
- Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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2
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Ni HC, Chao YP, Tseng RY, Wu CT, Cocchi L, Chou TL, Chen RS, Gau SSF, Yeh CH, Lin HY. Lack of effects of four-week theta burst stimulation on white matter macro/microstructure in children and adolescents with autism. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 37:103324. [PMID: 36638598 PMCID: PMC9852693 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Following the published behavioral and cognitive results of this single-blind parallel sham-controlled randomized clinical trial, the current study aimed to explore the impact of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a variant of excitatory transcranial magnetic stimulation, over the bilateral posterior superior temporal sulci (pSTS) on white matter macro/microstructure in intellectually able children and adolescents with autism. Participants were randomized and blindly received active or sham iTBS for 4 weeks (the single-blind sham-controlled phase). Then, all participants continued to receive active iTBS for another 4 weeks (the open-label phase). The clinical results were published elsewhere. Here, we present diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data on potential changes in white matter measures after iTBS. Twenty-two participants in Active-Active group and 27 participants in Sham-Active group underwent multi-shell high angular resolution diffusion imaging (64-direction for b = 2000 & 1000 s/mm2, respectively) at baseline, week 4, and week 8. With longitudinal fixel-based analysis, we found no white matter changes following iTBS from baseline to week 4 (a null treatment by time interaction and a null within-group paired comparison in the Active-Active group), nor from baseline to week 8 (null within-group paired comparisons in both Active-Active and Sham-Active groups). As for the brain-symptoms relationship, we did not find baseline white matter metrics associated with symptom changes at week 4 in either group. Our results raise the question of what the minimal cumulative stimulation dose required to induce the white matter plasticity is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Chang Ni
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ping Chao
- Deparment of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Rung-Yu Tseng
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Te Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Luca Cocchi
- Clinical Brain Networks Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Rou-Shayn Chen
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hung Yeh
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Hsiang-Yuan Lin
- Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Wiebe A, Kannen K, Selaskowski B, Mehren A, Thöne AK, Pramme L, Blumenthal N, Li M, Asché L, Jonas S, Bey K, Schulze M, Steffens M, Pensel MC, Guth M, Rohlfsen F, Ekhlas M, Lügering H, Fileccia H, Pakos J, Lux S, Philipsen A, Braun N. Virtual reality in the diagnostic and therapy for mental disorders: A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 98:102213. [PMID: 36356351 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the diagnostics and treatment of mental disorders. OBJECTIVE To systematically review the current evidence regarding the use of VR in the diagnostics and treatment of mental disorders. DATA SOURCE Systematic literature searches via PubMed (last literature update: 9th of May 2022) were conducted for the following areas of psychopathology: Specific phobias, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, dementia disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and addiction disorders. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA To be eligible, studies had to be published in English, to be peer-reviewed, to report original research data, to be VR-related, and to deal with one of the above-mentioned areas of psychopathology. STUDY EVALUATION For each study included, various study characteristics (including interventions and conditions, comparators, major outcomes and study designs) were retrieved and a risk of bias score was calculated based on predefined study quality criteria. RESULTS Across all areas of psychopathology, k = 9315 studies were inspected, of which k = 721 studies met the eligibility criteria. From these studies, 43.97% were considered assessment-related, 55.48% therapy-related, and 0.55% were mixed. The highest research activity was found for VR exposure therapy in anxiety disorders, PTSD and addiction disorders, where the most convincing evidence was found, as well as for cognitive trainings in dementia and social skill trainings in autism spectrum disorder. CONCLUSION While VR exposure therapy will likely find its way successively into regular patient care, there are also many other promising approaches, but most are not yet mature enough for clinical application. REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO register CRD42020188436. FUNDING The review was funded by budgets from the University of Bonn. No third party funding was involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Wiebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kyra Kannen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Benjamin Selaskowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Aylin Mehren
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Thöne
- School of Child and Adolescent Cognitive Behavior Therapy (AKiP), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lisa Pramme
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nike Blumenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mengtong Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura Asché
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephan Jonas
- Institute for Digital Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Bey
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marcel Schulze
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maria Steffens
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Max Christian Pensel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Guth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Felicia Rohlfsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mogda Ekhlas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Helena Lügering
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Helena Fileccia
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Julian Pakos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Silke Lux
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Niclas Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Dechsling A, Orm S, Kalandadze T, Sütterlin S, Øien RA, Shic F, Nordahl-Hansen A. Virtual and Augmented Reality in Social Skills Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:4692-4707. [PMID: 34783991 PMCID: PMC9556391 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05338-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, there has been an increase in publications on technology-based interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Virtual reality based assessments and intervention tools are promising and have shown to be acceptable amongst individuals with ASD. This scoping review reports on 49 studies utilizing virtual reality and augmented reality technology in social skills interventions for individuals with ASD. The included studies mostly targeted children and adolescents, but few targeted very young children or adults. Our findings show that the mode number of participants with ASD is low, and that female participants are underrepresented. Our review suggests that there is need for studies that apply virtual and augmented realty with more rigorous designs involving established and evidenced-based intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Dechsling
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages, Østfold University College, B R A veien 4, 1757, Halden, Norway.
| | - Stian Orm
- Department of Welfare and Participation, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
| | - Tamara Kalandadze
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages, Østfold University College, B R A veien 4, 1757, Halden, Norway
| | - Stefan Sütterlin
- Faculty of Computer Science, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Sigmaringen, Germany
- Faculty of Health, Welfare and Organisation, Østfold University College, Halden, Norway
| | - Roald A Øien
- Department of Education, The Arctic University of Norway - University of Tromsø, Tromsö, Norway
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Washington, USA
| | - Anders Nordahl-Hansen
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages, Østfold University College, B R A veien 4, 1757, Halden, Norway
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Zhao J, Zhang X, Lu Y, Wu X, Zhou F, Yang S, Wang L, Wu X, Fei F. Virtual reality technology enhances the cognitive and social communication of children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1029392. [PMID: 36276341 PMCID: PMC9582941 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1029392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective We aimed to explore the impact of using virtual reality technology to intervene in and encourage the developmental behavior areas of cognition, imitation, and social interaction in children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods Forty-four children with autism spectrum disorder were divided randomly into an intervention group and a control group, with each group consisting of 22 participants. Incorporating conventional rehabilitation strategies, virtual reality technology was used with the intervention group to conduct rehabilitation training in areas including cognition, imitation, and social interaction. The control group was provided conventional/routine clinical rehabilitation training. The children's cognitive development was evaluated before and 3 months after intervention. Results After intervention, the developmental abilities of both groups of children in the areas of cognition, imitation, and social interaction were improved over their abilities measured before the intervention (P < 0.05). However, post-intervention score differences between the two groups demonstrated that the intervention group levels were better than the control group levels only in the areas of cognition and social interaction (P < 0.05). Conclusion Combining virtual reality with conventional rehabilitation training improved the cognitive and social development of children with autism spectrum disorder and supported the goal of improving the rehabilitation effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqiang Zhao
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China,Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Medical Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Xinxiang, China,Xinxiang Intelligent Image Diagnosis Engineering Technology Research Center, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Medical Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Xinxiang, China,Xinxiang Intelligent Image Diagnosis Engineering Technology Research Center, Xinxiang, China,Department of Nursing, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Medical Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Xinxiang, China,Xinxiang Intelligent Image Diagnosis Engineering Technology Research Center, Xinxiang, China,Department of Nursing, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xingyang Wu
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Medical Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Xinxiang, China,Xinxiang Intelligent Image Diagnosis Engineering Technology Research Center, Xinxiang, China,Department of Medical Engineering, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Fujun Zhou
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Shichang Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Luping Wang
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Department of Nursing, Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Huzhou, China,*Correspondence: Xiaoyan Wu
| | - Fangrong Fei
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China,Fangrong Fei
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6
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Knight EJ, Krakowski AI, Freedman EG, Butler JS, Molholm S, Foxe JJ. Attentional influences on neural processing of biological motion in typically developing children and those on the autism spectrum. Mol Autism 2022; 13:33. [PMID: 35850696 PMCID: PMC9290301 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00512-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biological motion imparts rich information related to the movement, actions, intentions and affective state of others, which can provide foundational support for various aspects of social cognition and behavior. Given that atypical social communication and cognition are hallmark symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many have theorized that a potential source of this deficit may lie in dysfunctional neural mechanisms of biological motion processing. Synthesis of existing literature provides some support for biological motion processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder, although high study heterogeneity and inconsistent findings complicate interpretation. Here, we attempted to reconcile some of this residual controversy by investigating a possible modulating role for attention in biological motion processing in ASD. METHODS We employed high-density electroencephalographic recordings while participants observed point-light displays of upright, inverted and scrambled biological motion under two task conditions to explore spatiotemporal dynamics of intentional and unintentional biological motion processing in children and adolescents with ASD (n = 27), comparing them to a control cohort of neurotypical (NT) participants (n = 35). RESULTS Behaviorally, ASD participants were able to discriminate biological motion with similar accuracy to NT controls. However, electrophysiologic investigation revealed reduced automatic selective processing of upright biologic versus scrambled motion stimuli in ASD relative to NT individuals, which was ameliorated when task demands required explicit attention to biological motion. Additionally, we observed distinctive patterns of covariance between visual potentials evoked by biological motion and functional social ability, such that Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-Socialization domain scores were differentially associated with biological motion processing in the N1 period in the ASD but not the NT group. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional design of this study does not allow us to definitively answer the question of whether developmental differences in attention to biological motion cause disruption in social communication, and the sample was limited to children with average or above cognitive ability. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest that individuals with ASD are able to discriminate, with explicit attention, biological from non-biological motion but demonstrate diminished automatic neural specificity for biological motion processing, which may have cascading implications for the development of higher-order social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Knight
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA. .,Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 671, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Aaron I Krakowski
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Edward G Freedman
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - John S Butler
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,School of Mathematical Sciences, Technological University Dublin, Kevin Street, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.,The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA. .,The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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7
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Duarte JV, Abreu R, Castelo-Branco M. A two-stage framework for neural processing of biological motion. Neuroimage 2022; 259:119403. [PMID: 35738331 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It remains to be understood how biological motion is hierarchically computed, from discrimination of local biological motion animacy to global dynamic body perception. Here, we addressed this functional separation of the correlates of the perception of local biological motion from perception of global motion of a body. We hypothesized that local biological motion processing can be isolated, by using a single dot motion perceptual decision paradigm featuring the biomechanical details of local realistic motion of a single joint. To ensure that we were indeed tackling processing of biological motion properties we used a discrimination instead of detection task. We discovered using representational similarity analysis that two key early dorsal and two ventral stream regions (visual motion selective hMT+ and V3A, extrastriate body area EBA and a region within fusiform gyrus FFG) showed robust and separable signals related to encoding of local biological motion and global motion-mediated shape. These signals reflected two independent processing stages, as revealed by representational similarity analysis and deconvolution of fMRI responses to each motion pattern. This study showed that higher level pSTS encodes both classes of biological motion in a similar way, revealing a higher-level integrative stage, reflecting scale independent biological motion perception. Our results reveal a two-stage framework for neural computation of biological motion, with an independent contribution of dorsal and ventral regions for the initial stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Valente Duarte
- Centre of Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodolfo Abreu
- Centre of Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Centre of Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
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8
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Zhang M, Ding H, Naumceska M, Zhang Y. Virtual Reality Technology as an Educational and Intervention Tool for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Current Perspectives and Future Directions. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:138. [PMID: 35621435 PMCID: PMC9137951 DOI: 10.3390/bs12050138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide rising trend of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) calls for innovative and efficacious techniques for assessment and treatment. Virtual reality (VR) technology gains theoretical support from rehabilitation and pedagogical theories and offers a variety of capabilities in educational and interventional contexts with affordable products. VR is attracting increasing attention in the medical and healthcare industry, as it provides fully interactive three-dimensional simulations of real-world settings and social situations, which are particularly suitable for cognitive and performance training, including social and interaction skills. This review article offers a summary of current perspectives and evidence-based VR applications for children with ASD, with a primary focus on social communication, including social functioning, emotion recognition, and speech and language. Technology- and design-related limitations, as well as disputes over the application of VR to autism research and therapy, are discussed, and future directions of this emerging field are highlighted with regards to application expansion and improvement, technology enhancement, linguistic diversity, and the development of theoretical models and brain-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyue Zhang
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
| | - Hongwei Ding
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
| | - Meri Naumceska
- 70 Flowers Association for Early Intervention and Education of Children with Autism, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia;
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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9
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Farashi S, Bashirian S, Jenabi E, Razjouyan K. Effectiveness of virtual reality and computerized training programs for enhancing emotion recognition in people with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 70:110-126. [PMID: 38456137 PMCID: PMC10916911 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2063656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Background: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties recognizing emotions. Studies showed that virtual reality (VR) and computerized training programs might be used as potential tools for enhancing emotion recognition in such people. However, some inconsistencies were observed between the studies. Objective: In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, the potential of computerized and VR training programs were evaluated for enhancing emotion recognition in people with ASD. Method: Using PRISMA guidelines and a PICO model, eligible studies were retrieved and the pooled effect size was calculated. Results: This meta-analysis obtained the pooled effect of Cohen's d = 0.69 (95% CI: [0.49, 0.89]) that showed the positive effect of VR and computerized training on emotion recognition in people with ASD. The effectiveness was confirmed for different types of study design, and for both children and adults, while it was larger for non-VR computerized programs compared with VR counterparts. Conclusion-Due to the small sample size of this study and the substantial heterogeneity between studies, the outcomes should be considered with caution in practice. However, these outcomes can be considered for optimizing suitable computerized applications or as the hypothesis for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Farashi
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Saeid Bashirian
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Ensiyeh Jenabi
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Katayoon Razjouyan
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Dwyer D, Koutsouleris N. Annual Research Review: Translational machine learning for child and adolescent psychiatry. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:421-443. [PMID: 35040130 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Children and adolescents could benefit from the use of predictive tools that facilitate personalized diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment selection. Such tools have not yet been deployed using traditional statistical methods, potentially due to the limitations of the paradigm and the need to leverage large amounts of digital data. This review will suggest that a machine learning approach could address these challenges and is designed to introduce new readers to the background, methods, and results in the field. A rationale is first introduced followed by an outline of fundamental elements of machine learning approaches. To provide an overview of the use of the techniques in child and adolescent literature, a scoping review of broad trends is then presented. Selected studies are also highlighted in order to draw attention to research areas that are closest to translation and studies that exhibit a high degree of experimental innovation. Limitations to the research, and machine learning approaches generally, are outlined in the penultimate section highlighting issues related to sample sizes, validation, clinical utility, and ethical challenges. Finally, future directions are discussed that could enhance the possibility of clinical implementation and address specific questions relevant to the child and adolescent psychiatry. The review gives a broad overview of the machine learning paradigm in order to highlight the benefits of a shift in perspective towards practically oriented statistical solutions that aim to improve clinical care of children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany.,Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nikolaos Koutsouleris
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany.,Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Adiani D, Itzkovitz A, Bian D, Katz H, Breen M, Hunt S, Swanson A, Vogus TJ, Wade J, Sarkar N. Career Interview Readiness in Virtual Reality (CIRVR): A Platform for Simulated Interview Training for Autistic Individuals and Their Employers. ACM TRANSACTIONS ON ACCESSIBLE COMPUTING 2022. [DOI: 10.1145/3505560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Employment outcomes for autistic
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individuals are often poorer relative to their neurotypical (NT) peers, resulting in a greater need for other forms of financial and social support. While a great deal of work has focused on developing interventions for autistic children, relatively less attention has been paid to directly addressing the employment challenges faced by autistic adults. One key impediment to autistic individuals securing employment is the job interview. Autistic individuals often experience anxiety in interview situations, particularly with open-ended questions and unexpected interruptions. They also exhibit atypical gaze patterns that may be perceived as, but not necessarily indicative of, disinterest or inattention. In response, we developed a closed-loop adaptive virtual reality (VR)–based job interview training platform, which we have named Career Interview Readiness in VR (CIRVR). CIRVR is designed to provide an engaging, adaptive, and individualized experience to practice and refine interviewing skills in a less anxiety-inducing virtual context. CIRVR contains a real-time physiology-based stress detection module, as well as a real-time gaze detection module, to permit individualized adaptation. We also present the first prototype of the CIRVR Dashboard, which provides visualizations of data to help autistic individuals as well as potential employers and job coaches make sense of the data gathered from interview sessions. We conducted a feasibility study with 9 autistic and 8 NT individuals to assess the preliminary usability and feasibility of CIRVR. Results showed differences in perceived usability of the system between autistic and NT participants, and higher levels of stress in autistic individuals during interviews. Participants across both groups reported satisfaction with CIRVR and the structure of the interview. These findings and feedback will support future work in improving CIRVR’s features in hopes for it to be a valuable tool to support autistic job candidates as well as their potential employers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deeksha Adiani
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Aaron Itzkovitz
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lab, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Dayi Bian
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Harrison Katz
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lab, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael Breen
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lab, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Spencer Hunt
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lab, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Amy Swanson
- Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Timothy J. Vogus
- Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Joshua Wade
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nilanjan Sarkar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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12
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Mason L, Shic F, Falck-Ytter T, Chakrabarti B, Charman T, Loth E, Tillmann J, Banaschewski T, Baron-Cohen S, Bölte S, Buitelaar J, Durston S, Oranje B, Persico AM, Beckmann C, Bougeron T, Dell'Acqua F, Ecker C, Moessnang C, Murphy D, Johnson MH, Jones EJH. Preference for biological motion is reduced in ASD: implications for clinical trials and the search for biomarkers. Mol Autism 2021; 12:74. [PMID: 34911565 PMCID: PMC8672507 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00476-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neurocognitive mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear. Progress has been largely hampered by small sample sizes, variable age ranges and resulting inconsistent findings. There is a pressing need for large definitive studies to delineate the nature and extent of key case/control differences to direct research towards fruitful areas for future investigation. Here we focus on perception of biological motion, a promising index of social brain function which may be altered in ASD. In a large sample ranging from childhood to adulthood, we assess whether biological motion preference differs in ASD compared to neurotypical participants (NT), how differences are modulated by age and sex and whether they are associated with dimensional variation in concurrent or later symptomatology. METHODS Eye-tracking data were collected from 486 6-to-30-year-old autistic (N = 282) and non-autistic control (N = 204) participants whilst they viewed 28 trials pairing biological (BM) and control (non-biological, CTRL) motion. Preference for the biological motion stimulus was calculated as (1) proportion looking time difference (BM-CTRL) and (2) peak look duration difference (BM-CTRL). RESULTS The ASD group showed a present but weaker preference for biological motion than the NT group. The nature of the control stimulus modulated preference for biological motion in both groups. Biological motion preference did not vary with age, gender, or concurrent or prospective social communicative skill within the ASD group, although a lack of clear preference for either stimulus was associated with higher social-communicative symptoms at baseline. LIMITATIONS The paired visual preference we used may underestimate preference for a stimulus in younger and lower IQ individuals. Our ASD group had a lower average IQ by approximately seven points. 18% of our sample was not analysed for various technical and behavioural reasons. CONCLUSIONS Biological motion preference elicits small-to-medium-sized case-control effects, but individual differences do not strongly relate to core social autism associated symptomatology. We interpret this as an autistic difference (as opposed to a deficit) likely manifest in social brain regions. The extent to which this is an innate difference present from birth and central to the autistic phenotype, or the consequence of a life lived with ASD, is unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet St, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - F Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of General Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - T Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - B Chakrabarti
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, UK
- Department of Psychology, Ashoka University, Sonipat, India
- India Autism Center, Kolkata, India
| | - T Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - E Loth
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - J Tillmann
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - T Banaschewski
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - S Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - S Durston
- NICHE-Lab, Dept. of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B Oranje
- NICHE-Lab, Dept. of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A M Persico
- Interdepartmental Program "Autism 0-90", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - C Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T Bougeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris, 75015, Paris, France
| | - F Dell'Acqua
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - C Ecker
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - C Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - D Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - M H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet St, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - E J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet St, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
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13
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Ibrahim K, Soorya LV, Halpern DB, Gorenstein M, Siper PM, Wang AT. Social cognitive skills groups increase medial prefrontal cortex activity in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:2495-2511. [PMID: 34486810 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the neural mechanisms of change following social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the neural effects of social cognitive skills groups during functional MRI (fMRI) tasks of irony comprehension and eye gaze processing in school-aged children with ASD. Verbally fluent children (ages 8-11) were randomized to social cognitive skills groups or facilitated play comparison groups. Behavioral assessments and fMRI scans were obtained at baseline and endpoint (12 weeks). During fMRI, children completed two separate tasks to engage social cognition circuitry: comprehension of potentially ironic scenarios (n = 34) and viewing emotionally expressive faces with direct or averted gaze (n = 24). Whole-brain analyses were conducted to examine neural changes following treatment. Regression analyses were also conducted to explore the relationship between neural and behavioral changes. When comparing the two groups directly, the social cognitive skills group showed greater increases in activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), implicated in theory of mind, relative to the comparison group for both irony comprehension and gaze processing tasks. Increased mPFC activity during the irony task was associated with improvement in social functioning on the Social Responsiveness Scale across both groups. Findings indicate that social cognitive skills interventions may increase activity in regions associated with social cognition and mentalizing abilities. LAY SUMMARY: Social skills groups are a common intervention for school-aged children with ASD. However, few studies have examined the neural response to social skills groups in school-aged children with ASD. Here, we report on a study evaluating neural outcomes from an empirically supported social cognitive skills training curriculum using fMRI. This study seeks to understand the effects of targeting emotion recognition and theory of mind on the brain circuitry involved in social cognition in verbally fluent children ages 8-11. Results indicate increased neural activity in the mPFC, a region considered to be a central hub of the "social brain," in children randomized to social cognitive skills groups relative to a comparison group that received a high-quality, child-directed play approach. In addition, increased activation in the mPFC during an irony comprehension task was associated with gains in social functioning across both groups from pre- to post-treatment. This is the first fMRI study of social skills treatment outcomes following a randomized trial with an active treatment condition in school-aged children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Ibrahim
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Latha V Soorya
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Rush Medical College, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Danielle B Halpern
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Gorenstein
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paige M Siper
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - A Ting Wang
- Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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14
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Karami B, Koushki R, Arabgol F, Rahmani M, Vahabie AH. Effectiveness of Virtual/Augmented Reality-Based Therapeutic Interventions on Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:665326. [PMID: 34248702 PMCID: PMC8260941 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the application of virtual reality (VR) for therapeutic purposes has escalated dramatically. Favorable properties of VR for engaging patients with autism, in particular, have motivated an enormous body of investigations targeting autism-related disabilities with this technology. This study aims to provide a comprehensive meta-analysis for evaluating the effectiveness of VR on the rehabilitation and training of individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic search of related databases and, after screening for inclusion criteria, reviewed 33 studies for more detailed analysis. Results revealed that individuals undergoing VR training have remarkable improvements with a relatively large effect size with Hedges g of 0.74. Furthermore, the results of the analysis of different skills indicated diverse effectiveness. The strongest effect was observed for daily living skills (g = 1.15). This effect was moderate for other skills: g = 0.45 for cognitive skills, g = 0.46 for emotion regulation and recognition skills, and g = 0.69 for social and communication skills. Moreover, five studies that had used augmented reality also showed promising efficacy (g = 0.92) that calls for more research on this tool. In conclusion, the application of VR-based settings in clinical practice is highly encouraged, although their standardization and customization need more research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnam Karami
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Germany
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roxana Koushki
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Arabgol
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Behavioral Science Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Rahmani
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdol-Hossein Vahabie
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), Cognitive Systems Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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15
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Eggebrecht AT, Dworetsky A, Hawks Z, Coalson R, Adeyemo B, Davis S, Gray D, McMichael A, Petersen SE, Constantino JN, Pruett JR. Brain function distinguishes female carriers and non-carriers of familial risk for autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11:82. [PMID: 33081838 PMCID: PMC7574590 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00381-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by high population-level heritability and a three-to-one male-to-female ratio that occurs independent of sex linkage. Prior research in a mixed-sex pediatric sample identified neural signatures of familial risk elicited by passive viewing of point light motion displays, suggesting the possibility that both resilience and risk of autism might be associated with brain responses to biological motion. To confirm a relationship between these signatures and inherited risk of autism, we tested them in families enriched for genetic loading through undiagnosed (“carrier”) females. Methods Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined brain responses to passive viewing of point light displays—depicting biological versus non-biological motion—in a sample of undiagnosed adult females enriched for inherited susceptibility to ASD on the basis of affectation in their respective family pedigrees. Brain responses in carrier females were compared to responses in age-, SRS-, and IQ-matched non-carrier-females—i.e., females unrelated to individuals with ASD. We conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis focused on previously published regions of interest as well as exploratory, brain-wide analyses designed to characterize more fully the rich responses to this paradigm. Results We observed robust responses to biological motion. Notwithstanding, the 12 regions implicated by prior research did not exhibit the hypothesized interaction between group (carriers vs. controls) and point light displays (biological vs. non-biological motion). Exploratory, brain-wide analyses identified this interaction in three novel regions. Post hoc analyses additionally revealed significant variations in the time course of brain activation in 20 regions spanning occipital and temporal cortex, indicating group differences in response to point light displays (irrespective of the nature of motion) for exploration in future studies. Limitations We were unable to successfully eye-track all participants, which prevented us from being able to control for potential differences in eye gaze position. Conclusions These methods confirmed pronounced neural signatures that differentiate brain responses to biological and scrambled motion. Our sample of undiagnosed females enriched for family genetic loading enabled discovery of numerous contrasts between carriers and non-carriers of risk of ASD that may index variations in visual attention and motion processing related to genetic susceptibility and inform our understanding of mechanisms incurred by inherited liability for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Eggebrecht
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA. .,Washington University School of Medicine, C.B. 8225, 4515 McKinley Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Ally Dworetsky
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Zoë Hawks
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr., St Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Rebecca Coalson
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Babatunde Adeyemo
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Savannah Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Gray
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Alana McMichael
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Steven E Petersen
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John R Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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16
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Vargason T, Grivas G, Hollowood-Jones KL, Hahn J. Towards a Multivariate Biomarker-Based Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Review and Discussion of Recent Advancements. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2020; 34:100803. [PMID: 32446437 PMCID: PMC7248126 DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2020.100803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An ever-evolving understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathophysiology necessitates that diagnostic standards also evolve from being observation-based to include quantifiable clinical measurements. The multisystem nature of ASD motivates the use of multivariate methods of statistical analysis over common univariate approaches for discovering clinical biomarkers relevant to this goal. In addition to characterization of important behavioral patterns for improving current diagnostic instruments, multivariate analyses to date have allowed for thorough investigation of neuroimaging-based, genetic, and metabolic abnormalities in individuals with ASD. This review highlights current research using multivariate statistical analyses to quantify the value of these behavioral and physiological markers for ASD diagnosis. A detailed discussion of a blood-based diagnostic test for ASD using specific metabolite concentrations is also provided. The advancement of ASD biomarker research promises to provide earlier and more accurate diagnoses of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy Vargason
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
| | - Genevieve Grivas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
| | - Kathryn L Hollowood-Jones
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
| | - Juergen Hahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
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17
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Mozgai S, Hartholt A, Rizzo A“S. Systematic Representative Design and Clinical Virtual Reality. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2019.1693873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Mozgai
- University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, Los Angeles, California
| | - Arno Hartholt
- University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, Los Angeles, California
| | - Albert “Skip” Rizzo
- University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, Los Angeles, California
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18
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Ivleva EI, Turkozer HB, Sweeney JA. Imaging-Based Subtyping for Psychiatric Syndromes. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 2019; 30:35-44. [PMID: 31759570 DOI: 10.1016/j.nic.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite considerable research evidence demonstrating significant neurobiological alterations in psychiatric disorders, incorporating neuroimaging approaches into clinical practice remains challenging. There is an urgent need for biologically validated psychiatric disease constructs that can inform diagnostic algorithms and targeted treatment development. In this article, we present a conceptual review of the most robust and impactful findings from studies that use neuroimaging methods in efforts to define distinct disease subtypes, while emphasizing cross-diagnostic and dimensional approaches. In addition, we discuss current challenges in psychoradiology and outline potential future strategies for clinically applicable translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I Ivleva
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, NC5, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Halide B Turkozer
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, NC5, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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19
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Dykens EM, Roof E, Hunt-Hawkins H, Daniell C, Jurgensmeyer S. Profiles and trajectories of impaired social cognition in people with Prader-Willi syndrome. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223162. [PMID: 31622356 PMCID: PMC6797185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction People with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have a distinctive behavioral phenotype that includes intellectual disability, compulsivity, inattention, inflexibility and insistence on sameness. Inflexibility and inattention are at odds with the cognitive flexibility and attention to social cues needed to accurately perceive the social world, and implicate problems in social cognition. This study assessed two social cognition domains in people with PWS; emotion recognition and social perception. We identified changes in social cognition over an approximate two-year time period (M = 2.23 years), relative strengths and weakness in social cognition, and correlates and predictors of social cognition. Methods Emotion recognition and social perception were examined at two time points in 94 individuals with PWS aged 5 to 62 years (M = 13.81, SD = 10.69). Tasks administered included: standardized IQ testing; parent-completed measures of inattention and inflexibility; standard emotion recognition photos (fear, sadness, anger, happy); and videotaped social perception vignettes depicting negative events with either sincere/benign or insincere/hostile interactions between peers. Results An atypical trajectory of negative emotion recognition emerged, marked by similar levels of poor performances across age, and confusion between sad and anger that is typically resolved in early childhood. Recognition of sad and fear were positively correlated with IQ. Participants made gains over time detecting social cues, but not in forming correct conclusions about the intentions of others. Accurately judging sincere intentions remained a significant weakness over time. Relative to sincere intentions, participant’s performed significantly better in detecting negative social cues, and correctly judging trickery, deceit and lying. Age, IQ, inattention, and recognition of happy and sad accounted for 29% of variance in social perception. Conclusion Many people with PWS have deficits in recognizing sad, anger and fear, and accurately perceiving the sincere intentions of other people. The impact of these deficits on social behavior and relationships need to be better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M. Dykens
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Elizabeth Roof
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Hailee Hunt-Hawkins
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Christopher Daniell
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Sarah Jurgensmeyer
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
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20
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Nijman SA, Veling W, Greaves-Lord K, Vermeer RR, Vos M, Zandee CER, Zandstra DC, Geraets CNW, Pijnenborg GHM. Dynamic Interactive Social Cognition Training in Virtual Reality (DiSCoVR) for social cognition and social functioning in people with a psychotic disorder: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry 2019; 19:272. [PMID: 31488103 PMCID: PMC6727396 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Problems in social functioning (e.g., unemployment, social isolation), are common in people with a psychotic disorder. Social cognition is a treatment target to improve social functioning, as it is a proximal predictor of social functioning. Social Cognition Training (SCT) improves social cognition, but may not generalize (enduringly) to social functioning, perhaps due to insufficient opportunity to practice in daily-life social situations. Using virtual reality (VR) for SCT could address this problem, as VR is customizable, accessible, and interactive. We will test the effect of a VR SCT, 'DiSCoVR', on social cognition and social functioning in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS In total 100 people with a psychotic disorder and deficits in social cognition will be recruited for this multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants will be randomized to VR SCT (DiSCoVR) or VR relaxation training (VRelax; active control). DiSCoVR is a 16-session individual SCT, consisting of three modules: 1) emotion perception (recognizing facial emotions in a virtual shopping street); 2) social perception and theory of mind (observing social interactions between virtual characters and assessing their behavior, emotions and thoughts); and 3) application of higher-order social cognition in social interaction (role-playing personalized situations in VR). People receiving VRelax complete sixteen individual sessions, in which they receive psycho-education about stress, identify personal stressors, learn relaxation techniques, and explore relaxing immersive virtual environments. Assessments will be performed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Primary outcomes are emotion perception (Ekman 60 Faces), social perception and theory of mind (The Awareness of Social Inference Test). Secondary outcomes include social functioning (Personal and Social Performance Scale), experiences and social interactions in daily life (experience sampling of emotions, social participation and subjective experience of social situations), psychiatric symptoms (e.g., depression, perceived stress, anxiety, positive and negative symptoms) and self-esteem. DISCUSSION To our knowledge, this will be the first RCT testing the efficacy of VR SCT. It will also investigate generalization to daily life social situations, the durability of treatment effects, and moderators and mediators of treatment success. TRIAL REGISTRATION On December 5, 2017, this trial was registered prospectively in the Dutch Trial Register as NTR6863 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia A Nijman
- Department of Psychotic Disorders, GGZ Drenthe, Dennenweg 9, PO Box 30007, 9404, LA, Assen, the Netherlands.
- University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30.001, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712, TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wim Veling
- University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30.001, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kirstin Greaves-Lord
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Wytemaweg 8, 3015, CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Autism Team Northern-Netherlands of Jonx, Department of (Youth) Mental Health and Autism of Lentis Psychiatric Institute, Laan Corpus den Hoorn 102-2, 9728, JR, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Yulius Autism, Yulius, Amazone 7, 3315, WG, Dordrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rowina R Vermeer
- Flexible Assertive Community Treatment Team, Outpatient Treatment Center, GGZ Delfland, Sint Jorisweg 2, 2612, GA, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Vos
- University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30.001, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Catharina E R Zandee
- Flexible Assertive Community Treatment Team, Outpatient Treatment Center, GGZ Delfland, Sint Jorisweg 2, 2612, GA, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Chris N W Geraets
- University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30.001, 9700, RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Gerdina H M Pijnenborg
- Department of Psychotic Disorders, GGZ Drenthe, Dennenweg 9, PO Box 30007, 9404, LA, Assen, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712, TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
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21
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Abstract
Facial affect recognition deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been well documented, as has their relationship with impairment in several other cognitive domains. However, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying affect recognition deficits, in particular mechanisms underlying different aspects of facial affect recognition (e.g., perceptual and interpretive processes). In the current study, 33 adults with moderate-to-severe TBI and 24 demographically matched healthy comparison (HC) participants completed an fMRI facial affect recognition study. While in the scanner, participants were asked to match the affect of a target face to either (a) one of two faces differing in affect (perceptual condition) or (b) one of two written affect labels (interpretative condition). In both groups we found activations in regions typically involved in affect recognition. Our results revealed that in the perceptual condition individuals with TBI tended to activate the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex less than HCs, and within the HC group individuals with higher perceptual affect recognition scores showed higher levels of activation in the same brain region. Individuals with TBI who were specifically impaired at interpretative affect recognition showed less activation than HCs in the right fusiform gyrus. Moreover, in the labeling condition individuals with TBI tended to de-activate medial prefrontal regions less than HCs. A region of interest analysis revealed that individuals with TBI showed significantly less activation than HCs in the FFA for all the contrasts of interest. Our results suggest involvement of several brain regions in facial affect recognition impairment post TBI, and provide neurobiological support for the notion that distinct aspects of facial affect recognition can be differentially impaired following TBI.
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22
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Augmented Interaction Systems for Supporting Autistic Children. Evolution of a Multichannel Expressive Tool: The SEMI Project Feasibility Study. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9153081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background: Over the past ten years, the authors have been designing, developing, and testing pervasive technology to support children with autism (ASD). Methods: In the present study, an integrated system based on multimedia and augmented interaction technologies have been tested on young subjects with ASD and dyspraxia in the age range of 6–10 years, in charge for rehabilitation treatments; a team of clinical psychologists has analyzed the results of the experimentation. The ten children involved in the project underwent an initial assessment of praxis skills and motor coordination. Subsequently, the subjects were subdivided into two subgroups: five children participated in the experimentation and five were evaluated as the control group (treatment as usual). Results: The evaluation showed an increased score in the several aspects considered, and particularly those related to motor coordination. An improvement in balancing tests and in hands-movement testing was found. Conclusion: The children involved in the sessions showed greater ability to self-control the movement as well as to select specific motor areas. The methods used seem to be promising to improve emotional and social skills too in a motivating and enjoyable climate. A high level of acceptance by professionals was observed and parents’ feedback was also positive.
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23
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Lee KS, Chang DHF. Biological motion perception is differentially predicted by Autistic trait domains. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11029. [PMID: 31363154 PMCID: PMC6667460 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47377-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the relationship between biological motion perception and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. In three experiments, we indexed observers' performance on a classic left-right discrimination task in which participants were asked to report the facing direction of walkers containing solely structural or kinematics information, a motion discrimination task in which participants were asked to indicate the apparent motion of a (non-biological) random-dot stimulus, and a novel naturalness discrimination task. In the naturalness discrimination task, we systematically manipulated the degree of natural acceleration contained in the stimulus by parametrically morphing between a fully veridical stimulus and one where acceleration was removed. Participants were asked to discriminate the more natural stimulus (i.e., acceleration-containing stimulus) from the constant velocity stimulus. Although we found no reliable associations between overall AQ scores nor subdomain scores with performance on the direction-related tasks, we found a robust association between performance on the biological motion naturalness task and attention switching domain scores. Our findings suggest that understanding the relationship between the Autism Spectrum and perception is a far more intricate problem than previously suggested. While it has been shown that the AQ can be used as a proxy to tap into perceptual endophenotypes in Autism, the eventual diagnostic value of the perceptual task depends on the task's consideration of biological content and demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Shu Lee
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dorita H F Chang
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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24
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Bradshaw J, Shic F, Holden AN, Horowitz EJ, Barrett AC, German TC, Vernon TW. The Use of Eye Tracking as a Biomarker of Treatment Outcome in a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial for Young Children with Autism. Autism Res 2019; 12:779-793. [PMID: 30891960 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
There is a pressing need for objective, quantifiable outcome measures in intervention trials for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study investigated the use of eye tracking as a biomarker of treatment response in the context of a pilot randomized clinical trial of treatment for young children with ASD. Participants included 28 children with ASD, aged 18-48 months, who were randomized to one of two conditions: Pivotal Response Intervention for Social Motivation (PRISM) or community treatment as usual (TAU). Eye-tracking and behavioral assessment of developmental functioning were administered at Time 1 (prior to randomization) and at Time 2 (after 6 months of intervention). Two well-established eye-tracking paradigms were used to measure social attention: social preference and face scanning. As a context for understanding relationships between social attention and developmental ability, we first examined how scanning patterns at Time 1 were associated with concurrent developmental functioning and compared to those of 23 age-matched typically developing (TD) children. Changes in scanning patterns from Time 1 to Time 2 were then compared between PRISM and TAU groups and associated with behavioral change over time. Results showed that the social preference paradigm differentiated children with ASD from TD children. In addition, attention during face scanning was associated with language and adaptive communication skills at Time 1 and change in language skills from Time 1 to Time 2. These findings highlight the importance of examining targeted biomarkers that measure unique aspects of child functioning and that are well-matched to proposed mechanisms of change. Autism Research 2019, 12: 779-793. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Biomarkers have the potential to provide important information about how and why early interventions effect positive change for young children with ASD. The current study suggests that eye-tracking measures of social attention can be used to track change in specific areas of development, such as language, and points to the need for targeted eye-tracking paradigms designed to measure specific behavioral changes. Such biomarkers could inform the development of optimal, individualized, and adaptive interventions for young children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bradshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Anahita N Holden
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Erin J Horowitz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Amy C Barrett
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Tamsin C German
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Ty W Vernon
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
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25
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition affecting a growing number of individuals across the lifespan. It is characterized by observable impairments in social communication, as well as repetitive behaviors and restricted patterns of interests. Early, intensive behavioral interventions improve long-term outcomes in ASD, but are often expensive and hard to administer consistently. This chapter describes a new approach to autism intervention, using highly motivating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies that could soon support traditional autism therapies across ages and ability levels. The chapter begins by reviewing the ASD phenotype, followed by a review of the current landscape of research on VR and AR in ASD. A discussion of ASD-specific benefits and risks is followed by a presentation of new, harnessed immersive VR technology from Floreo, Inc. Finally, we propose a series of future research directions.
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26
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Luckhardt C, Kröger A, Elsuni L, Cholemkery H, Bender S, Freitag CM. Facilitation of biological motion processing by group-based autism specific social skills training. Autism Res 2018; 11:1376-1387. [PMID: 30324710 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abnormalities in neurophysiological correlates of social perception are a well-known feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known if and how ASD specific behavioral interventions may affect neural processing in ASD. The aim of the current study was to investigate for the first time, whether the group-based social skills training SOSTA-FRA would elicit changes in neurophysiological correlates of social perception in high-functioning ASD individuals aged 8-17 years. Event-related potentials (ERPs) of a facial emotion recognition (FER) and a biological motion perception task were examined. ERPs were compared between a randomized intervention and a treatment as usual group at three time points (baseline, post-intervention, and at 3 months follow-up). A reduction of P100 amplitude in the right hemisphere and a trend toward reduced N200 latency in the biological motion task were found after the training only in the intervention group, whereas behavioral performance remained stable. Change in N200 latencies and parent-rated social responsiveness showed small but statistically nonsignificant correlations. No changes were observed regarding FER. Results indicate that the intervention changed neural correlates of social perception in ASD. Especially neural correlates of biological motion perception, which is an important prerequisite for successful social interaction, were sensitive to change. ERPs of social perception tasks that are impaired in ASD can well be used to objectively measure neural processing improvement by behavioral intervention. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1376-1387. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: It is well known that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) process social information differently than other people and that these differences can also be seen in their brain activity. We also know that behavioral therapies, such as group-based social skills trainings can help people with ASD improve their behavior. But it is unclear how therapy changes social processing in the brain. The aim of our study was therefore to examine how neural processing of social stimuli changed after behavioral intervention. Comparing a group of children and adolescents that received the group-based social skills training SOSTA-FRA to a control group we found that the neural processing of human motion became faster and involved less brain resources after the intervention, while behavioral performance remained stable. No changes were seen for the processing of emotional facial expressions. We recommend that future studies should also analyze changes in brain function as well as behavioral changes as a secondary therapy outcome parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Luckhardt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anne Kröger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Leyla Elsuni
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hannah Cholemkery
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephan Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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27
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Neurophilosophical and Ethical Aspects of Virtual Reality Therapy in Neurology and Psychiatry. Camb Q Healthc Ethics 2018; 27:610-627. [DOI: 10.1017/s0963180118000129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Highly immersive virtual reality (VR) systems have been introduced into the consumer market in recent years. The improved technological capabilities of these systems as well as the combination with biometric sensors, for example electroencephalography (EEG), in a closed-loop hybrid VR-EEG, opens up a range of new potential medical applications. This article first provides an overview of the past and current clinical applications of VR systems in neurology and psychiatry and introduces core concepts in neurophilosophy and VR research (such as agency, trust, presence, and others). Then, important adverse effects of highly immersive VR simulations and the ethical implications of standalone and hybrid VR systems for therapy in neurology and psychiatry are highlighted. These new forms of VR-based therapy may strengthen patients in exercising their autonomy. At the same time, however, these emerging systems present ethical challenges, for example in terms of moral and legal accountability in interactions involving “intelligent” hybrid VR systems. A user-centered approach that is informed by the target patients’ needs and capabilities could help to build beneficial systems for VR therapy.
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28
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Wen D, Lan X, Zhou Y, Li G, Hsu SH, Jung TP. The Study of Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Patients With Different Cognitive Impairment Phases Based on Virtual Reality and EEG. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:88. [PMID: 29666577 PMCID: PMC5891607 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wen
- Department of Software Engineering, School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China.,The Key Laboratory for Computer Virtual Technology and System Integration of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Xifa Lan
- Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Yanhong Zhou
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, School of Mathematics and Information Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Guolin Li
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, School of Mathematics and Information Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Sheng-Hsiou Hsu
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tzyy-Ping Jung
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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29
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Yang YJD, Allen T, Abdullahi SM, Pelphrey KA, Volkmar FR, Chapman SB. Neural mechanisms of behavioral change in young adults with high-functioning autism receiving virtual reality social cognition training: A pilot study. Autism Res 2018. [PMID: 29517857 PMCID: PMC6001642 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Measuring treatment efficacy in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relies primarily on behaviors, with limited evidence as to the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral gains. This pilot study addresses this void by investigating neural and behavioral changes in a Phase I trial in young adults with high-functioning ASD who received an evidence-based behavioral intervention, Virtual Reality-Social Cognition Training over 5 weeks for a total of 10 hr. The participants were tested pre- and post-training with a validated biological/social versus scrambled/nonsocial motion neuroimaging task, previously shown to activate regions within the social brain networks. Three significant brain-behavior changes were identified. First, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, a hub for socio-cognitive processing, showed increased brain activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli in individuals with greater gains on a theory-of-mind measure. Second, the left inferior frontal gyrus, a region for socio-emotional processing, tracked individual gains in emotion recognition with decreased activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli. Finally, the left superior parietal lobule, a region for visual attention, showed significantly decreased activation to nonsocial versus social stimuli across all participants, where heightened attention to nonsocial contingencies has been considered a disabling aspect of ASD. This study provides, albeit preliminary, some of the first evidence of the harnessable neuroplasticity in adults with ASD through an age-appropriate intervention in brain regions tightly linked to social abilities. This pilot trial motivates future efforts to develop and test social interventions to improve behaviors and supporting brain networks in adults with ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 713-725. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY This study addresses how the behavioral changes after treatment for ASD reflect underlying brain changes. Before and after receiving VR-SCT, young adults with high-functioning ASD passively viewed biological motion stimuli in a MRI scanner, tapping changes in the social brain network. The results reveal neuroplasticity in this age population, extending the window of opportunity for interventions to impact social competency in adults with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y J Daniel Yang
- Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University and Children's National Health System, Washington, DC.,Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Tandra Allen
- Center for BrainHealth, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Sebiha M Abdullahi
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University and Children's National Health System, Washington, DC
| | - Fred R Volkmar
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sandra B Chapman
- Center for BrainHealth, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
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30
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Technology-Facilitated Diagnosis and Treatment of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Engineering Perspective. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/app7101051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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31
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Pavlova MA. Emotion Science in the Twenty-First Century. Time, Sex, and Behavior in Emotion Science: Over and Above. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1211. [PMID: 28785231 PMCID: PMC5519779 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marina A. Pavlova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of TübingenTübingen, Germany
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