Virtual Reality: The Next Step To ADHD Diagnosis

ADHD is a condition that affects around 6% of the population’s children; and yet, research and treatment of the disorder is still in its early stages of development, or even seemingly at a stand-still.

However, this trajectory is catapulted into progression with the research of the MAGICS Infrastructure, a joint partnership between three major Finnish Universities who developed a way to aid in the diagnosis of ADHD in children through Virtual Reality.

In a paper published in Scientific Reports, the team conducted an experiment on a variety of children to uncover whether VR has a place alongside the doctor’s chair in helping uncover the condition.

ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is a condition becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. Marked by a consistent pattern of inattention and/or impulsive hyperactivity, the disorder interferes with everyday functioning or development due to the improper functioning of the brain’s neurotransmitters, noradrenaline and dopamine. Symptoms include constant fidgeting, inability to concentrate, excessive talking, impatience, and impulsive behaviour.

Although there are a number of methods to diagnose and treat ADHD, ever-advancing technology is paving the way for an easier, more efficient way of dealing with the disorder. One of these ways is via Virtual Reality Technology.

Funded by the Aalto University, the research involved 37 children diagnosed with ADHD, and a control group of 36 children, who played two VR games designed to effi- ciently and effectively aid in the diagnoses of ADHD. The two games, EPELI and “Shoot the Target”, use machine learning and the tracking of eye movement.

EPELI is a VR game that simulates everyday situations in order to assess the response of the child being examined. For example, a given goal in the game may be to brush your teeth while a distracting stimulus is occurring in the simulated environment around you. This game aids the diagnostic process as it provides an interactive and conclusive approach to ADHD detection. Instead of a child taking a test delineating hypothetical events, they are simply being observed while going about what is almost their everyday life. The results, in this case, would show themselves.

In “Shoot the Target”, the objective is to look around your virtual environment and “shoot” the object highlighted by looking at it for a certain amount of time. In this case, the data is collective by observing the children’s eye movements. It is seen that those with an ADHD diagnosis have more “darting” eye movements.

“This isn’t just a new technology to objectively assess ADHD symptoms. Children also find the game more interesting than standard neuropsychological tests.” Project lead Juha Salmitaival, an Academy Research Fellow at Aalto, explains that a major benefit to the game is its motivational aspect.

The current methods of diagnosis is based on questionnaires, interviews and subjective observation; and are proving to produce ambiguous results, with the standard behavioural tests not providing an accurate representation of how children with

ADHD deal with everyday tasks and situations. In comparison, VR is proving to be a more hands-on approach to treating the condition.

“We want to develop a gamification-based digital therapy that can help children with ADHD get excited about doing things they wouldn’t otherwise do. There’s already an approved game for ADHD rehabilitation in the US,” says Salmitaival.

The team is already exploring the prospect of rehabilitation projects with researchers at the University of Oulu, in Finland.

Beyond assessing symptoms, gaming could also be used as an aid to ADHD rehabilitation. It can help in the practice of holding atten- tion, and it proves to be a safe, open space for trying new tasks. A “reward feature” is also being postulated to moderate impulsive behaviour and aid in emotional control.

Researchers have already identified other potential applications for EPELI in assessing a wide range of difficulties with everyday challenges. For example, it could be used to measure problems in the planning and flexibility of activities in people with autism. With modifications, this approach could also be used to assess language problems, brain trauma, adult ADHD, symptoms related to cerebral palsy and even the deterioration of memory with age.

“Our partners in Geneva are studying aging-related diseases. Key opportunities on the horizon include early detection of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases,” says Salmitaival.

And so, we not only see an active step towards progress in the area of ADHD research and developments, but we also find that this enigmatic approach to healthcare may be transposed to an infinite number of areas within the medical industry. This could see the cultivation of an entire new branch of medical technology, the creation of a hundred thousand new jobs, and above all, a more open and accessible future.

Newly Discovered Anatomy Shields and Monitors Brain

HANNAH CARPENTER STEM WRITER

Traditionally it was thought that the brain is surrounded by three membranes known as the dura mater, arachnoid and the pia mater. However new research, published in Science, has revealed the presence of a fourth layer. This previously undiscovered piece of brain anatomy is now known as the Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane, or SLYM for short. SLYM functions as a protective barrier in the brain and hosts immune cells that monitor the brain for infection. It has also been linked to roles in the brain’s system of waste removal, known as the glymphatic system.

The SLYM is a very thin yet tight barrier. Only very small molecules are allowed through, and it appears that it has a role in separating “clean” and “dirty” cerebrospinal fluid, an important aspect in the glymphatic system.

The study was pioneered by Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Centre for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester and the University of

Copenhagen; and Kjeld Møllgård, a professor of neuroanatomy at the University of Copenhagen.

Commenting on their work in a statement to EurekaAlert!, Nedergaard remarks, “The discovery of a new anatomic structure that segregates and helps control the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in and around the brain now provides us much greater appreciation of the sophisticated role that CSF plays not only in transporting and removing waste from the brain, but also in supporting its immune defences.”

The SLYM is a type of membrane known as a mesothelium. Mesothelium membranes have been shown to line other organs such as the heart. These membranes function