Puttemans Floor, Copermans Ella, Karlsson Petra, Ortibus Els, Dan Bernard, Monbaliu Elegast, Bekteshi Saranda
Department of Neurosciences, Mind-body Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Neurorehabilitation Technology Lab, KU Leuven, Bruges, Belgium.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2025 May;20(4):867-877. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2412073. Epub 2024 Oct 12.
This study aimed to explore the effects of a four-week intensive eye-tracking intervention on children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy (DCP), focusing on goal attainment, communication competencies, stress levels, subjective workload, and caregivers' perception of psychosocial impact. A multiple case study design with non-concurrent, staggered multiple baselines was employed, involving three children aged 7, 12, and 13 years. The study included a randomized baseline period of two or three weeks, an intensive eye-tracking intervention, and a six-month follow-up. Two individual eye-tracking goals were identified and assessed using the Goal Attainment Scale, while communication competencies were evaluated with the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Profile: A Continuum of Learning. Stress levels were monitored through Heart Rate Variability measured by the Bittium Faros 360° ECG Holter during eye-tracking tasks. Subjective workload and psychosocial impact were assessed using pictograms and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale, respectively. Descriptive statistics were applied for analysis. All participants attained and retained their eye-tracking goals, regardless of their initial functional profiles or prior experience with eye-tracking technology. Post-intervention improvements in communication competencies were maintained at the six-month follow-up. Variations in stress levels, subjective workload, and psychosocial impact were observed among participants across different phases of the study, aiding the interpretation of the results. The study concludes that a structured, tailored, four-week intensive eye-tracking intervention can yield successful results in children with DCP, irrespective of their baseline communication abilities or functional profile. Recommendations for future research, including more robust methodologies and reliable computerized tests, are provided.
本研究旨在探讨为期四周的强化眼动追踪干预对运动障碍型脑瘫（DCP）儿童的影响，重点关注目标达成情况、沟通能力、压力水平、主观工作量以及照顾者对心理社会影响的认知。本研究采用了非同期、交错多基线的多案例研究设计，涉及三名年龄分别为7岁、12岁和13岁的儿童。该研究包括为期两到三周的随机基线期、强化眼动追踪干预以及为期六个月的随访。使用目标达成量表确定并评估了两个个体眼动追踪目标，同时通过《辅助沟通概况：学习连续体》评估沟通能力。在眼动追踪任务期间，通过Bittium Faros 360°心电图动态监测仪测量心率变异性来监测压力水平。分别使用象形图和辅助设备的心理社会影响量表评估主观工作量和心理社会影响。采用描述性统计进行分析。所有参与者均达成并维持了他们的眼动追踪目标，无论其初始功能状况或之前使用眼动追踪技术的经验如何。干预后沟通能力的改善在六个月随访时得以维持。在研究的不同阶段，参与者的压力水平、主观工作量和心理社会影响存在差异，这有助于对结果进行解读。该研究得出结论，结构化、量身定制的四周强化眼动追踪干预对于DCP儿童可产生成功的效果，无论其基线沟通能力或功能状况如何。文中还提供了对未来研究的建议，包括更稳健的方法和可靠的计算机化测试。
