BCI (Brain Computer Interface) Intervention in Autism (BCIAUT)

University of Coimbra

Status: Completed

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Device: BCI to train joint attention in ASD

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02445625

IBILI-VB-2015-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to demonstrate that improvements in identification of social clues (and improvement of overall social behaviour) in subjects with ASD can be achieved using social games together with a BCI setup.

The primary goal is to ensure increased rate of responses to joint attention cues.

Intervention Type is a Device (brain computer interface using EEG). Structure: (1) initial eligibility screening (within 1 week after admission), (2) pre-intervention (first week of study, baseline outcome measures and additional evaluations), (3) intervention process (16 weeks), (4) post-intervention (outcome measures and additional evaluations), and (5) follow-up (outcome measures at 6 months).

Full description

Clinical research has demonstrated that ASD children have deficits in the interpretation of others intentions from gaze-direction or other social attention cues (Baron-Cohen, Baldwin, & Crowson, 1997).

The purpose of the study is to investigate whether a brain computer interface (BCI) using electroencephalographic (EEG) signals can be used to train social cognition skills (in particular interpretation of gaze direction pointing to objects of interest) in ASD patients and whether this improves clinical symptoms.

The intervention comprehends seven BCI sessions spread over four months. The first four sessions are planned to occur weekly, and the rest monthly. In each session, the subject is asked to identify objects of interest based on the gaze direction of an avatar. The subject response is interpreted from the EEG signal (using the P300 component, as established in our previous work).

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16 to 30 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Positive diagnostic results for ASD in:

Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised; Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria.

Exclusion criteria

• Global Intelligence Quotient < 80
• Associated medical condition such as epilepsy, neurocutaneous or other genetic syndromes, or other usual comorbidity in ASD samples

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 1 patient group

BCI to train joint attention in ASD

Experimental group

Description:

We are using Brain Computer Interfaces implemented by EEG in 16 ASD subjects

Treatment:

Device: BCI to train joint attention in ASD