Trained attention in ADHD with an eye tracker
A randomised trial of RECOGNeyes in 28 children: both groups played the same game, and only the eye-tracker group improved.
Question. Can an eye-tracking video game train visual attention in children with ADHD well enough to produce measurable clinical change — and does the eye tracker itself do the work, or just the game?
This project used interactive gaming technology to help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), through a computer game specifically designed to train and improve visual attention.
The study involved 28 children diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-5 criteria. These participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group that played RECOGNeyes using an eye tracker, or a control group that played the game using a traditional mouse. The study was conducted over a six-month period and aimed to assess various attentional parameters both before and after the training period.
Remarkably, the results showed significant improvements in the eye-tracker group. Post-training assessments showed improved impulse control, faster reaction times and better fixation control, while the control group showed no significant changes. This finding suggests that RECOGNeyes, through its engaging and child-friendly interface combined with eye-tracking technology, can effectively augment the visual attention system and offers a promising non-pharmacological therapeutic option for the treatment of ADHD.
The design answers the second half of the question directly: because both groups played the same game, the improvement is attributable to the eye-tracking control itself rather than to engagement or practice. RECOGNeyes therefore offers a promising non-pharmacological option for ADHD, and a template for how a neurotechnology product can be evaluated with the rigour of a clinical study.
Role and collaborators. Research assistant on the study, involved in game evaluation, behavioural measures and neuropsychological testing, and co-author on the resulting publication. Supervised by Hans Supèr.
Carried out during a research stay at the Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, in collaboration with the neurotech startup Braingaze and the University of Nottingham.
Published in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders 21(4) (2019). PDF.