An iPad-based intervention to improve visual-motor, visual-attention, and visual-perceptual skills in children with surgically treated hydrocephalus: A pilot study.

Abstract

Develop and pilot an iPad-based intervention for improving visual-motor coordination, visual-spatial processing/reasoning, and visual attention in children with surgically treated hydrocephalus (HCP). We developed an intervention protocol targeting visual-motor coordination, visual-spatial processing/reasoning, and visual attention. Fourteen participants with HCP completed 30h of training over 6weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Perceptual Reasoning Index from the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition. Secondary measures included subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition, Developmental NEuroPSYchological Assessment, Second Edition (NEPSY-II), and Purdue Pegboard. Children with HCP demonstrated gains with statistical significance on the Perceptual Reasoning Index. We also observed significant improvement on a timed test of visuo-motor coordination (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition, Coding). Our iPad-application-based intervention may promote visual-motor coordination, visual-spatial processing/reasoning, and visual attention skills in children with HCP, offering an engaging and economical supplement to more conventional therapies.