Using Serious Game Technology to Improve Sensitivity to Eye Gaze in Autism (SAGA)

The Pennsylvania State University (PENNSTATE)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Autism

Treatments: Behavioral: Computer Game

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT02968225

R61MH110624

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators hypothesize that this serious game (designed to provide a learning environment that maximizes opportunities for adolescents with autism to discover the functional utility of eye gaze) will improve sensitivity to eye gaze cues, specifically to identify gazed-at objects, and will also lead to increased social attention to faces in adolescents with autism. The investigators will test this hypothesis in a small-scale exploratory randomized control trial that will include both behavioral and eye tracking outcome measures.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria:

1. parent/caregiver of an adolescent with a diagnosis of ASD,
2. parent/caregiver and adolescent with ASD both native English speakers,
3. adolescent with ASD aged between 10-18 years at enrollment,
4. adolescent has normal vision and hearing with correction as indicated by parent report,
5. adolescent is able to use a computer for the purposes of game play,
6. adolescent scores > 80% correct (i.e., 0.5 SD less than M of TD adolescents) on online eye gaze screening task,
7. ASD diagnosis of adolescent confirmed in lab via the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule,
8. Full Scale IQ of adolescent determined to be between 70-130 on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test,
9. reading ability of adolescent determined to be at least a second grade level as assessed by the Oral and Written Language Scales,
10. adolescent is capable of cooperating with testing,
11. parent/caregiver and adolescent both consent/assent to participate in the research.

Exclusion Criteria

1. adolescent has had seizures within the previous two years,
2. family lacks stable home internet,
3. parent or adolescent refuses to consent/assent to take part in the research,
4. adolescent is 18 and has a legal guardian, prohibiting him/her from legally consenting, or
5. adolescent is 18 and cannot understand the consent (i.e., fails consent quiz).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

Computer Game

Experimental group

Description:

All Computer Game participants will complete: * online screening * Diagnostic and eye-tracking pre-testing * 2 month intervention * Eye-tracking post-testing

Treatment:

Behavioral: Computer Game

Waitlist control

No Intervention group

Description:

All Treatment as usual control participants will complete: * online screening * Diagnostic and eye-tracking pre-testing * Eye-tracking post-testing