APP-based Emotion Recognition Training Improve ASD Social Function

The main aim of the study is to investigate whether APP-based emotional recognition training improve social function in autistic children.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder High-Functioning
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: APP-based emotion recognition intervention; Behavioral: APP-based memory intervention

Detailed Description

50 ASD children age ranged from 4-10 years old will be randomly allocated to either app-based emotional recognition training or memory training groups for 2 months. Before and after training, some assessements were measured including Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2, Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale and Psychoeducational Profile-3. Some other questionnaires are also collected including Social Responsibility Scale-2,Repetitive behavior scale-Revised,Caregiver Strains Questionnaire，Social Communication Questionnaire，Social Anxiety Scale for Children，Adaptive behavior assessment Schedule. Four eye-tracking tasks as follows: (1) Dynamic geometrical paired with dynamic child dancing; (2) Static neutral and emotional faces; (3) A dynamic gaze-following task; (4) social interaction behaviors paired with the toys alone; (5) spinning actions conducted via children paired with objects.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Sichuan
    • Chendu, Sichuan, China, 611731
      • Recruiting
      • University of Electronic Science and Technology
      • Contact: Weihua Zhao, Phd; Phone Number: +86 18780247797; Email: zarazhao@uestc.edu.cn

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion criteria: Clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and follow these criteria: (1) Age range: 4-10 years old, gender not limited;(2) Ethnicity: Han nationality;(3) Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) Comparison Score greater than or equal to 5 points (Le et al., 2022);(4) Considering that only high-functioning autism individuals can successfully complete the eye-tracking tasks, children with a Wechsler score greater than or equal to 60 points are selected; Exclusion criteria: (1) No neurological complications, such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, fragile X syndrome, etc.;(2) No prior medical interventions, such as taking antipsychotic drugs, receiving transcranial magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, etc.;(3) No abnormal imaging diagnosis or any brain injury.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: APP-based emotion recognition trainning; Experimental group: ASD children were asked to do emotion recognition for eight weeks using iPAD. Two 15-minsute sessions each day was required.	Behavioral: APP-based emotion recognition intervention; ASD children were asked to play emotion recognition-related games for eight weeks using iPAD. Two 15-minsute sessions each day was required.
Active Comparator: APP-based memory training; Control group: ASD children were asked to do memory training (i.e. 1 back) for eight weeks using iPAD. Two 15-minsute sessions each day was required.	Behavioral: APP-based memory intervention; ASD children were asked to play memory-related games for eight weeks using iPAD. Two 15-minsute sessions each day was required.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
ADOS-2 assessment	ADOS-2 assessment	1-2 hour
SRS-2	SRS-2	half an hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual performance across five tasks based on eye-tracking	Tasked based eye-tracking performance including fixation time, fixation counts	half an hour

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Other questionnaires and assessment	CARS	1-2 hour
Other questionnaires and assessment	PEP-3	1-2 hour
Other questionnaires and assessment	RBS-R	1-2 hour
Other questionnaires and assessment	SCQ	1-2 hour
Other questionnaires and assessment	CSQ	1-2 hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 7, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: UESTC-neuSCAN-94

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No