Computerized Eye-tracking Attention Training for Children With Special Needs

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: ADHD; ASD; Learning Disorders
• Interventions: Other: Computerized training program; Other: Placebo

• Registration Number: NCT04178421
• Lead Sponsor: Chinese University of Hong Kong

Brief Summary

Children with special needs (e.g. autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are found to have sustained attention problems. Several behavioral interventions have been carried out in the past to improve this situation. However, these interventions are often involved a high administration cost. Recently, researchers have been focusing on training the eye gaze fixation using the eye-tracking training games, as some of the research studies reported a correlation between atypical eye gaze patterns with poor sustained attention. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized eye-tracking attention training. Two batches of 48 primary school students will be recruited from email and the subject pool of the Department of Psychology of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Participants are dividedly randomly and equally into either intervention or control group. Participants in both groups will undergo pre- and post-assessments measuring the executive function and attention before and after the intervention, respectively. However, there will be eight eye-tracking training sessions for the intervention group, but only the assessments are received in the control group. It is hypothesized that after the training, the performance of the training games and assessments will improve, indicated by increasing accuracy rates, as well as the reaction time of the tasks. The results would provide important information on the value of computerized eye gaze training and would guide the direction of interventions that target on improving the sustained attention and impulse control of children with special needs.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-09-01
• Primary Completion: 2019-08-30
• Study Completion: 2019-09-10
• Status Verified: 2019-11
• Study First Submitted: 2019-11-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-11-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-11-25
• Study First Posted: 2019-11-26
• Last Update Posted: 2019-11-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 96

Inclusion Criteria

• a total of 96 primary school children (aged between 6 to 12 years) with special needs, defined by psychological disorders such as ASD, ADHD, ADD, and Dyslexia

Exclusion Criteria

• Children with mental retardation will be excluded

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental Group	Computerized training program	A computerized eye -tracking program training the eye gaze fixation with the target to improve impulse control and sustained attention of children with special needs
Control Group	Placebo	Computerized program

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (Cognitive Test)	through study completion, an average of 2 year	flanker inhibitory control and attention test to assess their attention
Dimensional Change Card Sort Test (Psychological Test Battery)	through study completion, an average of 2 year	the Dimensional Change Card Sort Test to measure executive function

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, Hong Kong