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Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)
12, 2023;130 (12): 1601-1607.

A wearable device-enabled therapeutic approach to improve joint attention in autism spectrum disorder: a prospective pilot study.

Isabelle Tahmazian, Alexander Watts, Oswald Chen, Hannah J Ferrara, Adam McCrimmon, Bin Hu, Taylor Chomiak
Author Information
  1. Isabelle Tahmazian: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
  2. Alexander Watts: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
  3. Oswald Chen: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
  4. Hannah J Ferrara: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
  5. Adam McCrimmon: Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
  6. Bin Hu: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. hub@ucalgary.ca.
  7. Taylor Chomiak: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. tgchomia@ucalgary.ca.
PMID: 37648903 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02683-w

Abstract

It has been previously proposed that interventions aimed at integrating and co-activating music processing and motor control systems could have therapeutic potential for priming social skill development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we assessed this hypothesis through a wearable sensor platform called Ambulosono ("Ambulo"-walk; "sono"-sound) in which pleasurable children's musical stimuli are contingently linked to effortful motor action (locomotor step size), thus creating a motivational state proposed to be conducive to joint attention (JA) operation. Five participants were recruited from a community-based partner and were assessed by scoring responses following therapist-directed bids for JA. Multiple assessment sessions through a repeated time-series design were conducted to determine baseline and post-intervention scores. The intervention session consisted of approximately 15 min of Ambulosono exposure. Baseline and post-intervention data were aggregated and analyzed using a linear mixed-effect model. The wearable sensor and wireless headphones of the Ambulosono system were tolerated by the participants, and there were no adverse effects associated with the use of the device. We found an increase in the average responses to bids for JA during the Ambulosono intervention phase compared to baseline across participants. This increase did not appear to result from enhanced general arousal. Our pilot data support feasibility and further testing of Ambulosono as a therapeutic aid for integration into community-based ASD programs to augment shared child-therapist social interactions.

Keywords

Ambulosono Joint Attention Music Sensor Wearable

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MeSH Term

Humans
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Pilot Projects
Prospective Studies
Attention
Wearable Electronic Devices
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Word Cloud

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