Smartglasses Help Patients With Comorbid Autism, ADHD
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This preliminary research demonstrates that the augmented-reality smart-glasses technology has promised in addressing social communication and attention challenges of children and adults with autism. About one third of people with ASD have diagnosable ADHD. Research has indicated that for patients who have both of these conditions, there is greater cognitive and emotional processing impairment and rates of hyperactivity and impulsivity are significantly higher compared to patients who have only ADHD. People with both ASD and ADHD may also be less likely to receive appropriate treatment for their ADHD (typically, psychoactive medication, including stimulants). In addition, they do not respond as well to such treatment. The Empowered Brain system used in the new study includes lightweight smart-glasses that feature a camera, a microphone, a touchpad, a blink sensor, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer.
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@koli This technology is combined with various apps, such as Face2Face and Emotional Charades, which help users recognize and direct their attention toward socially salient stimuli, such as facial expressions. The study included eight participants who had both ASD and ADHD. The patients ranged in age from 11 years to 20 years. All but one of the participants were male. In autism, the ratio of males to females is about 4 or 5 to 1. Social communication abilities varied among the participants, as shown by their scores on the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), which ranged from 11 to 28 points. The mean score on the SCQ was 18. The researchers used the caregiver-reported hyperactivity subscale of the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC-H), which measures inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, although it is weighted toward hyperactivity