Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Clinical Neurology, Pediatrics, Rehabilitation, Neurosciences & Neurology, Dyskinetic cerebral palsy, dystonia, choreoathetosis, eye gaze, children, performance, SEVERE PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS, QUALITY-OF-LIFE, CLASSIFICATION-SYSTEM, ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATION, SCALE, PARTICIPATION, INDIVIDUALS, EXPERIENCES, VALIDITY, Adolescent, Athetosis, Cerebral Palsy, Child, Child, Preschool, Dyskinesias, Dystonia, Eye Movements, Female, Fixation, Ocular, Humans, Male, Pilot Projects, Psychomotor Performance, Task Performance and Analysis, Video Games, 1109 Neurosciences, 1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, 1701 Psychology, 3213 Paediatrics, 5201 Applied and developmental psychology

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the operational competences screen navigation and dwell function underlying eye gaze performance, and the relation of dystonia and choreoathetosis with eye gaze performance in children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy (DCP). METHODS: During a 5-week intervention, ten participants with DCP played eye gaze video games daily for 30 minutes. Six games were used to assess task performance, fixation count, and eye movement accuracy during four measurements. Dystonia and choreoathetosis were evaluated using the Dyskinesia Impairment Scale. RESULTS: Eye gaze performance improved over time (p = .013). Moderate to strong within-subject correlations were found between eye movement accuracy and task performance, and between eye movement accuracy and fixation count. No significant correlations were found with the movement disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Eye gaze technology shows great potential to be a successful computer interface for children with severe DCP, thereby potentially improving their communication skills, participation levels, and quality of life.