Difficulties In Social Interaction Research Articles

Autism Robotic Theater: a technological tool to contribute to the social interaction of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

According to the World Health Organization, 0.62% of the world’s population has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is equivalent to 1 in 160 children. People with ASD have difficulties in communicative behaviors and social interaction. The assistance requirements to improve these deficits are complex. This research´s primary objective is to propose and implement a robotic theater called ART (Autism Robotic Theater) as a technological assistance tool to contribute to increase social interaction in children diagnosed with ASD. This robotic theater is based on a set of homogeneous humanoid robots performing gestures and actions. ART is formed by 3 NAO robots, a curtain, a narrator, and a software program that allows creating scripts easily and intuitively, to later interpret them. ART was presented in different sessions, to a group of children with ASD under two scenarios. The first scenario aims to encourage the interest and interaction of children with the tool. The second scenario uses the tool to develop a play where robots and children participate, encouraging interaction between them. From the results of an initial and a final evaluation of the children’s performance stands out an increase of 43.75% in the children’s imitation level and, increase of 39.58% in the children’s response and interaction with the robots. Despite the short evaluation time due to the pandemic, the results of the proposed structure have been favorable in the execution of the play in parallel with homogeneous robots and, the impact that the two scenarios have presented in children with TEA.

Model for the Diagnosis of Autism Based on Neutrosophic Cognitive Maps

Autism spectrum disorders are diverse conditions characterized by some degree of difficulty in social interaction and communication, atypical patterns of activity and behavior, and unusual reactions to sensations. ASDs do not have a single known cause, scientists do not know the exact causes of their development, and it is believed that they are associated with a combination of several factors. The present study was carried out with 42 cases diagnosed with any of the subclasses of autism established by the DSM-V and included patients between 18 months and four years old, from 4 provinces of Ecuador, to determine the main elements to which they were exposed to establish possible common groups of causal factors of the disease. The experts carried out an analysis and determined three predominant casual factors in the group, and some recommendations derived from the analysis are included.

The Sociotype of Dermatological Patients: Assessing the Social Burden of Skin Disease

Skin diseases can be the cause of a significant psychosocial burden. However, tools to screen for social interaction difficulties and diminished social networks that affect the wellbeing and mental health of the individual have not been sufficiently developed. This study is based on the sociotype approach, which has recently been proposed as a new theoretical construct implemented in the form of an ad hoc questionnaire that examines the social bonding structures and relational factors. A pilot study was conducted in Alcañiz Hospital (Spain), with a study population of 159 dermatology patients. The results showed that in both subjective estimates concerning family, friends, work, and acquaintances, and in quantitative aspects, such as social contacts, duration of conversations, and moments of laughter, there were significant differences between the sample regarding diagnostic severity, dermatological diseases, and gender. The sociotype questionnaire (SOCQ) is a useful tool to screen for social difficulties in dermatological patients.

Motor intervention and autism: one way, several domains of effectiveness

In the literature, a delay in the development and acquisition of motor skills is generally described in children with autism spectrum disorder, affecting between 50% and 80% of this population. In spite of this high frequency of occurrence, motor difficulties are not yet considered in the same way as the core deficits of this disorder (difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior); addictionaly, there is not yet enough research about the efficacy of a specific intervention that can support the development of motor functions compromised in autism. Recent findings, which support the correlation between motor domain and other areas of development (social and cognitive), together with other evidence that underline the benefits of practicing motor activities on the individual's well-being, lead us to re-evaluate the effects of motor intervention for autism. To define the salient points of this kind of intervention, with particular attention to rehabilitation practice, a literature search was carried out on four different databases, which sifted through 602 bibliographic citations and found 10 studies that were able to meet the set research purposes. This review showed that physical activity in autistic children not only improves motor performance, but also plays an important role in the social, cognitive and behavioural development, as well as helping to reduce some secondary or associated symptoms, such as stereotypies or sleep disorders.

Oral Health Status in Autism Patients Children in Iraq

Background: The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been introduced as one of the complicated developmental disabilities impairing communication and behavioral, intellectual as well as social functioning describes diverse symptoms, such as difficulties in communication skills and social interactions. The present research has been performed to assess seriousness of the dental caries in conjunction with the oral cleanliness amongst children suffering from autism in comparison with a control group according to age groups and gender. Materials and Methods: This research involved 30 children aged 3-14 years (male, female) who suffered from autism and attended autism centers in Welfare Children Teaching Hospital in Baghdad province, Iraq, were selected for the study compared to 30 healthy children with the same age group. Plaque (PlI), Decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (dmfs, DMFS), calculus (CI) as well as Gingival (GI) indices have been applied for measuring the status of oral health for these two groups. The data of our research has been analyzed by SPSS 26. Results: The entire autism group was caries active. For primary dentition, a lower dmfs values were recorded for study in comparison with the controls, differences have been not significant in dmfs, while for permanent dentition, a higher DMFS values were recorded for study in comparison with the control group with statistically significant concerning DMFS (P < 0.05). Moreover, caries experience (DS and DMFS) among both genders were higher in the study group in comparison with the controls with a significant difference in female only. Total mean value of PlI in the study group has been greater than the controls with no statistically significant difference. In addition, total mean value of GI in the study group has been lower than the controls with no statistically significant difference. Furthermore, correlation coefficient between the caries experience of primary and permanent teeth with PlI and GI among study and control group showed no significant correlations seen in the study and control groups, all of them were positively correlated except (ds) with (GI) in control group which was negatively correlated with no significant correlation. Conclusion: children with ASD had higher dental caries severity regarding permanent teeth compared to normal subjects, plaque higher in autistic group than control group. Dental care planners must design preventing strategies for avoiding caries; procedures for oral care as well as educational programs for oral care and promotion for addressing diverse challenges facing the oral care in ASD.

A Scalable Off-the-Shelf Framework for Measuring Patterns of Attention in Young Children and its Application in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in the processing of social information and difficulties in social interaction, and individuals with ASD exhibit atypical attention and gaze. Traditionally, gaze studies have relied upon precise and constrained means of monitoring attention using expensive equipment in laboratories. In this work we develop a low-cost off-the-shelf alternative for measuring attention that can be used in natural settings. The head and iris positions of 104 16-31 months children, an age range appropriate for ASD screening and diagnosis, 22 of them diagnosed with ASD, were recorded using the front facing camera in an iPad while they watched on the device screen a movie displaying dynamic stimuli, social stimuli on the left and nonsocial stimuli on the right. The head and iris position were then automatically analyzed via computer vision algorithms to detect the direction of attention. Children in the ASD group paid less attention to the movie, showed less attention to the social as compared to the nonsocial stimuli, and often fixated their attention to one side of the screen. The proposed method provides a low-cost means of monitoring attention to properly designed stimuli, demonstrating that the integration of stimuli design and automatic response analysis results in the opportunity to use off-the-shelf cameras to assess behavioral biomarkers.

Parents’ guide on life-skills for children in coronavirus disease times

With the closedown of schools due to Coronavirus disease-19, children are likely to have poor scholastic achievement apart from the difficulty in social interaction and life-skills development. Pre-school is a crucial time as the brain is developing rapidly and learning during this stage sets the stage for future success. Therefore, parents need to step up to the occasion in the absence of teachers. It becomes a parent’s responsibility to teach their children independence, resilience, social interactions, language, and appropriate usage of digital devices, and so on. A routine that includes games and activities that teach life skills is essential for the overall development of a child. This short article tries to guide parents so that no part of a child’s development is left out.

Characterization of alexithymia in clinically isolated syndrome

BackgroundIn multiple sclerosis (MS), the prevalence of alexithymia, defined as an inability to identify and describe emotions, is close to 50% but the prevalence of this symptom in clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is unknown. Characterizing alexithymia at an early stage of the disease can help to clarify psychobehavioural disturbances in CIS patients. MethodsForty CIS patients, who fulfilled the MRI criteria for dissemination in space, were matched with 40 healthy subjects. They completed self-assessment scales for alexithymia, depression, anxiety, apathy and empathy. Cognitive functions were assessed using a battery of neuropsychological tests. ResultsThe mean delay (± standard deviation) between the occurrence of CIS and inclusion in the study was 3.9 (2.8) months. The frequency of alexithymia was higher in CIS patients than in controls, with a prevalence of 42% (P<0.0001). Alexithymia correlated with anxiety and depression but not with cognition. Alexithymia was dependent only on depression (P=0.003). ConclusionAlexithymia, characterized by difficulty identifying feelings, is present in patients in the early stage of MS, and seems to be strongly associated with depression. Difficulty in social interaction could be a risk of future affective disorders.

Posterior urethral valves and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in two FINNISH cohorts

The Posterior Urethral Valve (PUV) is a persistent membrane of the urethra, which causes obstruction in the urogenital tract in boys. To our knowledge, no comprehensive reports have been published on whether PUV is associated to neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we analyzed a cohort of PUV patients for neurodevelopmental disorders and verified findings in an older cohort. In a register based study, we reviewed the hospital registries for patients treated for PUV during 1992-2013 to identify those with neurodevelopmental disorders. Primary outcome measure was any neurodevelopmental diagnosis. Secondary outcome measures were specific disorders: ASD; ADHD, intellectual disability, learning disabilities. Birth weight and gestational age were recorded, serum creatinine levels at specific timepoints were noted. We then investigated these variables to see any correlations to neurodevelopmental disorders. We replicated the strategy for verification in an older cohort of PUV-patients, who had been treated in our institute during 1970-1991. We identified 87 patients treated for PUV of which thirteen (15%) had a verified diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder. 2.3% of PUV patients fulfilled criteria of mild intellectual disability (F70.0/F79.0), 9% had ADHD/ADD-spectrum diagnoses (F90.0/F90.9) and 2.3% had learning disabilities (F83/F81.3). 5.7% of patients presented with difficulties in social interactions (F93.89, F94.8). Five patients presented with more than one neurodevelopmental diagnosis. We confirmed these findings in the older cohort of patients, where a verified neurodevelopmental diagnosis was detected in 14% of patients. We identified no statistically significant associations to gestational age, birth weight or creatinine levels of PUV-patients with neurodevelopmental diagnoses as compared to the PUV-patients not diagnosed for neurodevelopmental disorders. Intellectual disability/mental retardation was more prevalent in our material and this association was statistically significant. We show, that the prevalence of intellectual disability among PUV patients exceeds the cumulative prevalence in Finland in both cohorts analyzed here. 15% of PUV-patients presented with a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder. To our knowledge, this is the first study attempting to outlineneurodevelopmental disorders among boys with PUV. This study has limitations. It is register based and only diagnoses made at an institute within our hospital district are considered. The PUV-patients may be under closer surveillance than age-matched healthy children, which may lead to an overrepresentation of cases. The patient number is small and the small subsets of patients within each cohort hamper any further statistical analysis. The neurodevelopmental impacts of pediatric general anesthesia remain elusive and may have corollaries which must be kept in mind when interpretating our results. Patients with PUV require close follow-up in a multi-disciplinary manner, not forgetting neurodevelopmental aspects. Attention to intellectual disability is mandatory. Any suspicion of a developmental delay in a patient with PUV warrants further investigation and corresponding interventions.

Family perspectives on educational experiences, post-school needs, and quality of life of young autistic adults

This exploratory pilot study examined perspectives of family members of young adults with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder regarding the experiences, and level of support their child or sibling received, throughout their years in general education, into early adulthood, and their perception as to the young person’s overall current quality of life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four family members (mainly mothers) of autistic young adults and analysed thematically. Family members were selected to capture more accurately the nature and extent of supports in place in the general education system during the autistic person’s childhood years. Where relevant, perceived challenges pertaining to third-level education were identified including social, residential, and academic supports. The lack of support with transitions from secondary to third-level education and into the workplace was highlighted. Barriers to employment included communication and social interaction difficulties alongside perceived employers’ prejudice. The pilot findings highlight the need for support throughout the general education journey and a continuation of accessible support services beyond the age of eighteen for autistic individuals. The study will be extended to gain the perspective from the young person’s point of view of services and supports in tertiary education and/or employment.

Multimodal assessment of communicative-pragmatic features in schizophrenia: a machine learning approach

An impairment in pragmatic communication is a core feature of schizophrenia, often associated with difficulties in social interactions. The pragmatic deficits regard various pragmatic phenomena, e.g., direct and indirect communicative acts, deceit, irony, and include not only the use of language but also other expressive means such as non-verbal/extralinguistic modalities, e.g., gestures and body movements, and paralinguistic cues, e.g., prosody and tone of voice. The present paper focuses on the identification of those pragmatic features, i.e., communicative phenomena and expressive modalities, that more reliably discriminate between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. We performed a multimodal assessment of communicative-pragmatic ability, and applied a machine learning approach, specifically a Decision Tree model, with the aim of identifying the pragmatic features that best separate the data into the two groups, i.e., individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and represent their configuration. The results indicated good overall performance of the Decision Tree model, with mean Accuracy of 82%, Sensitivity of 76%, and Precision of 91%. Linguistic irony emerged as the most relevant pragmatic phenomenon in distinguishing between the two groups, followed by violation of the Gricean maxims, and then extralinguistic deceitful and sincere communicative acts. The results are discussed in light of the pragmatic theoretical literature, and their clinical relevance in terms of content and design of both assessment and rehabilitative training.

Direct and Inverse Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among School-Age Autistic Boys.

Young people with autism are often bullied at school, a potential direct correlate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This may be compounded by their difficulties in social interaction. Alternately, some of these young people may develop ‘coping strategies’ against bullying that may have an inverse association with PTSD. As a vulnerable population for PTSD, a sample of 71 young males with autism were surveyed for their self-reported experiences of being bullied at school, their coping strategies for dealing with this bullying, and their own evaluations of the severity of two of the key diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Their mothers also provided a rating of the severity of the three major diagnostic criteria for autism for these boys. Over 80% of this sample had been bullied, and there was a significant direct correlation between this and PTSD score, and between their mother-rated severity of the boys’ social interaction difficulties, but also a significant inverse correlation between their coping strategies and PTSD score. There were differences in these relationships according to whether the boys attended elementary or secondary school. These findings hold implications for the identification, assessment and support of autistic youth at risk of PTSD.

Arte-Educação, Transtorno do Espectro Autista-TEA e possibilidades educativas

O estudo teve como objetivo compreender a criança com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) na primeira infância (de zero a dois anos), refletindo sobre as possiblidades construtivas da Arte-Educação para o desenvolvimento e aprendizagem da criança. O TEA é caracterizado por dificuldades no desenvolvimento da linguagem, nos processos de comunicação e por déficits nos processos de socialização. A Arte pode proporcionar experiências e oportunidades de construção sensoriais, cognitivas e afetivas, e que dialoga com intervenções terapêuticas- pedagógicas na Educação de crianças atípicas com dificuldades na interação social e na comunicação. A pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa foi realizada por meio de entrevista narrativa com a mãe de uma criança com TEA. Os resultados sugerem que a criança desde os primeiros meses apresentou sinais do TEA como: dificuldade de amamentação, a ausência de contato visual, descontentamento nos momentos de toque, pouca reação a voz humana, fixação por objetos que pudessem ser girados e um padrão repetitivo de organização. A arte desperta, no bebê, múltiplas sensações: cria laços afetivos, promove o aconchego, estimula percepções sensoriais e movimento e precisam ser estimulados para essa expressão. Conclui-se que a criança com TEA na primeira infância, pode se beneficiar das possiblidades construtivas da Arte-Educação, como fator benéfico para o progresso interativo da criança.

Psychotropic medication prescribing in people with autism spectrum disorders with and without psychiatric comorbidity

SUMMARYAutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by difficulties in social interactions and social communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviours. Relative to the general population, individuals with ASDs are likely to be overrepresented in secure psychiatric care and custodial settings. Outcomes vary and can be problematic in the context of co-occurring intellectual disability, psychiatric disorder and challenging behaviours. To date, there is little in the way of specialised clinical guidance on the prescription of psychotropic medicines for individuals with ASDs, particularly information on any differences in efficacy and/or tolerability of specific medications. This review summarises the key research to date on the prescription of psychotropic medication in ASD with and without comorbid psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders, within the context of the existing clinical guidance. Some critical analysis is provided to aid clinicians in following a safe, effective and individualised approach to prescribing for people with ASDs.

Dysfunction in interpersonal neural synchronization as a mechanism for social impairment in autism spectrum disorder.

Social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been linked to atypical activation of the mentalizing network. This work, however, has been limited by a focus on the brain activity of a single person during computerized social tasks rather than exploring brain activity during in vivo interactions. The current study assessed neural synchronization during a conversation as a mechanism for social impairment in adults with ASD (n=24) and matched controls (n=26). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data were collected from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and tempoparietal junction (TPJ). Participants self-reported on their social communication and videos of the interaction were coded for utterances and conversational turns. As expected, controls showed more neural synchrony than participants with ASD in the TPJ. Also as expected, controls showed less social communication impairment than participants with ASD. However, participants with ASD did not have fewer utterances compared with control subjects. Overall, less neural synchrony in the TPJ was associated with higher social impairment and marginally fewer utterances. Our findings advance our understanding of social difficulties in ASD by linking them to decreased neural synchronization of the TPJ. LAY SUMMARY: The coordination of brain responses is important for efficient social interactions. The current study explored the coordination of brain responses in neurotypical adults and adults with ASD to investigate if difficulties in social interactions are related to difficulties coordinating brain responses in ASD. We found that participants with ASD had more difficulties coordinating brain responses during a conversation with an interacting partner. Additionally, we found that the level of coordination in brain responses was linked to problems with social communication.

Examining the association between childhood autistic traits and adolescent hypomania: a longitudinal twin study.

There is evidence that autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) co-occur with bipolar disorder (BD) relatively frequently. Individuals with BD often report symptoms of mania and hypomania during adolescence, prior to the age of onset for BD. It is unknown whether these symptoms are associated with ASDs. We examined whether diagnoses of ASDs and autistic traits were associated with hypomania in a large, population-based Swedish twin sample. Parental structured interviews assessed autistic traits, and were used to assign screening diagnoses of ASDs, when twins were aged 9 or 12 (N = 13 533 pairs). Parents then completed questionnaires assessing hypomania when the twins were aged 15 and 18 (N = 3852 pairs at age 15, and 3013 pairs at age 18). After investigating the phenotypic associations between these measures, we used the classical twin design to test whether genetic and environmental influences on autistic traits influence variation in adolescent hypomania. Autistic traits and ASD diagnoses in childhood were associated with elevated scores on the measures of adolescent hypomania. Twin analyses indicated that 6-9% of the variance in hypomania was explained by genetic influences that were shared with autistic traits in childhood. When repeating these analyses for specific autistic trait domains, we found a stronger association between social interaction difficulties and hypomania than for other autistic trait domains. These results indicate a genetic link between autistic traits and hypomania in adolescence. This adds to the growing evidence base of genetic factors associated with ASDs showing links with psychiatric outcomes across childhood and into adulthood.

Strategies used by nurses and tracheostomized users in communication: systematic review

Communication is a basic human need necessary to establish a relationship of trust between patients and multidisciplinary team, especially with nursing team. With this, it is necessary to find strategies that allows not only the tracheostomized patients but also nurses to communicate in an effective way [1]. This is a systematic review that aims to give an answer to our investigation question: “Which strategies are used by nurses and tracheostomized patients in communication?” To understand which strategies are used by nurses and tracheostomized patients in communication. Our research was based on electronic data such as B-On, SciELO, RCAAP and EBSCOhost. According to our descriptors: communication, strategies, nursing and tracheostomy, we included articles published between 2011 and 2019, in Portuguese or English. Seven articles were included in this systematic review. From the analysis of the data emerged three fundamental themes regarding the strategies used by nurses and tracheostomized patients in communication, that are: (1) Communication strategies used; (2) Communication facilitators; (3) Difficulty in communication and social interaction. Regarding the first theme, we consider that the alternative communication strategies used by tracheostomized individuals involve gestures or writing, lip reading, illustrative cards, the speech valve and tracheostomy occlusion [2]. According to the second theme, we found that the user must be encouraged to speak clearly and slowly, taking into account key words or phrases (that may give clues) and to blink differently for yes or no [3]. Regarding the last theme, the difficulties shown by the tracheostomy user go through the inability to change the volume and tone of voice, thereby affecting social interaction with others [4]. The knowledge of health professionals regarding the stress factor of these users leads to a lack of expressiveness due to the inability to communicate. The communication of these two actors is considered a key element, helping to reassure the user [5]. For all these strategies, the positioning of the user and the receptor of the message is a primary factor [2]. The need for strategies to overcome the difficulties experienced by tracheostomized users provides a consistent basis for promotion quality nursing care [1,2]. The studies analysed indicate that currently, despite the existence of several communication techniques between the user and the other health professionals, (namely nurses), there is still some difficulty in teaching them. This difficulty has implications for the continuity of health care and affects not only users, but also their family and all professionals with whom they are in contact during hospitalisation. This review is important because it contributes to the improvement of nursing care and the compliance of the user.

Graphic Design for Children with Learning Disabilities Based on the Isaan Mural Painting

The study of 'Graphic design for children with learning disabilities' is a study that delves into learning-disabled children in the Isaan region. The author used the survey to formulate a graphic and media design model to enhance LD children's learning. This paper is a qualitative study of the data retrieved from the literature review and field data. Target groups include experts, practitioners, and stakeholders. Research instruments are structured and non-structured interviews, observation forms, and tests. The collected data were then analyzed using the 'information processing theory,' 'structural-functional theory,' product design principle, and graphic design element principle. The paper presents the result using descriptive analysis. Based on the study, it was found that the cause for learning disabilities in children living in Isaan mostly concerns with environmental learning disabilities. The best period for children with learning disabilities to effectively receive help is during their early primary or elementary education. The types of learning disabilities that can be found in children in the Isaan region are mostly reading and writing disabilities. Further, it was also revealed that Nakhonratchasima Primary Education Service Area 2 has the highest rate of learning-disabled children in Isaan. Most of the children with learning disabilities did not receive proper care from their caretakers. To identifying children with learning disabilities, the author collaborated with the children's caretakers, schools, Special Education Bureau, and hospitals. Common classroom behaviors among these children are their inability to read and write; this includes difficulties in social interactions and activity participation. As for the learning materials, it is clear that the materials used did not correspond with their special needs due to their disabilities. It is clear that these children need materials made for individual use that does not require participation in front of the class or learning through multimedia. The discovery can be used as a guideline in formulating graphic design. The graphic design should make insignificant information less distinct while reinforcing the main contents with bold lines, complementary colors, page distance, pictures used in representing alphabets, and the adoption of fun and creative characters. As for the material design guideline, the media should focus on one story for individual use. Students should also learn through playing, repeated reading, writing practice, using materials repeatedly without being bored, and can memorize the lessons when participating in hands-on activities.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 23 December 2020 / Accepted: 11 February 2021 / Published: 5 March 2021

Technology-driven solutions to prompt conversation, aid communication and support interaction for people with dementia and their caregivers: a systematic literature review

BackgroundThe impact of dementia for communication skills can result in difficulties in social interactions between people with dementia and their conversation partner, as initiating and maintaining conversations becomes increasingly challenging. The role of technology in enhancing social health and participation for people with dementia is increasing, but the use of technological devices to support social interactions and aid communication quality is still in its infancy. The objective of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive description of technology-driven interventions for people with dementia and their conversation partners to prompt communication and facilitate positive social interactions.MethodsA systematic search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO, with titles and abstracts independently screened by two researchers. Quality appraisal of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.ResultsOf the 18 papers included, the technology most commonly used to facilitate communication and interactions was tablet-computers (n = 7), social robots (n = 5) and computers systems (n = 4). By analyzing the impact of the device(s) for social interaction and communication, four major themes emerged: i) breaking the ice; ii) increased interaction; iii) better understanding of the person with dementia; and iv) reduced pressure for the conversation partner.ConclusionWhile the majority of the included studies are small-scale, they indicate promising findings for the potential of technology to promote interaction in a way that relieves strain on the caregiver, enhances relationships and engages people with dementia in social activities. Rigorous investigation using standard, comparable measurements is needed to demonstrate the effects of technological solutions, as well as to explore and address barriers and potential adverse outcomes.

Validation of the German Version of the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale (MEWS-G).

Increasing evidence shows that unintentional mind wandering is linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and that its frequency contributes to symptom severity and functional impairment in ADHD. However, empirical data on mind wandering in adult ADHD are still scarce, and a validated scale to assess mind wandering in German adult ADHD patients is lacking. The primary aim of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the German version of the recently published Mind Excessively Wandering Scale (MEWS-G) in terms of factorial structure and factor stability, internal consistency and construct validity. Analyses were performed in 128 adults with ADHD, clinical and healthy controls. As described for the original English 15-item version of the scale, we found lowest item-total-correlations for items 6, 10 and 14 with item-total correlation of all: 0.54/ADHD: 0.32 (item 6), all: 0.55/ADHD: 0.39 (item 10) and all: 0.11/ADHD: -0.04 (item 14). Item-total correlations for the remaining items were 0.65-0.86 and Cronbach Alpha was 0.96 indicating good internal consistency of the 12-item version of scale, on which we based all further analyses. Principal component analysis indicated a one- and two- factorial scale structure respectively explaining 71.7 % and 78.7 % of variance. Both factors showed good stability with lower stability of the factor-2 solution if sample size was reduced. The two-factorial solution also had many cross-loadings and a strong correlation of both factors in confirmatory factorial analysis (rf1f2=0.87). It probably describes related and interdependent, but not distinct facets of mind wandering, which strongly argues for the one factorial structure of the scale. Mean MEWS-G score in ADHD was 23.77±7.85 compared to 7.64±7.27 in controls (p<.0001). According to ROC, the optimal cut-off point to discriminate ADHD and controls is at MEWS-G score=13. On the symptom level, MEWS-G score was correlated with ADHD, depressive and total psychiatric symptom scores, on the personality level with neuroticsm and negatively with conscientiousness and on the functional level with social interaction difficulties and impaired self-efficacy. In summary, our study shows that MEWS-G is a reliable, valid instrument to assess spontaneous mind wandering in adult ADHD and to discriminate between ADHD and controls.