Optimizing Assisted Communication Devices for Children With Motor Impairments Using a Model of Information Rate and Channel Capacity

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cerebral Palsy

• Registration Number: NCT00352326
• Lead Sponsor: University of Southern California

Brief Summary

For children who depend on devices to communicate, the rate of communication is a primary determinant of success. For children with motor impairments, the rate of communication may be limited by inability to contact buttons or cells rapidly or accurately. It is therefore essential to know how to adjust the device interface in order to maximize each child's rate of communication. The optimal rate of communication is determined by the Channel Capacity, which is the maximum value of the Information Rate for all possible keyboard button or cell layouts for the communication device. We construct a mathematical model for the information rate based on the relationship between movement time and the number of buttons per screen, the size of the buttons, and the length of a sequence of buttons that must be pressed to communicate each word in the vocabulary. We measure the parameters of the model using a custom-programmed touch-screen interface.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2006-01
• Study First Submitted: 2006-07-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2006-07-12
• Study First Posted: 2006-07-14
• Primary Completion: 2014-12
• Study Completion: 2014-12
• Status Verified: 2017-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-05-18
• Last Update Posted: 2017-05-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 29

Inclusion Criteria

• Use of Dynavox ability to follow two-step commands impairment in arm function

Exclusion Criteria

• increased risks of study

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Stanford University School of Medicine; 🇺🇸 Stanford, California, United States