An eye-tracking assistive device improves the quality of life for ALS patients and reduces the caregivers' burden.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease. In some cases, patients with ALS retain a normal level of consciousness but disease progression eventually results in generalized paralysis, which first impedes and then prevents oral communication. This communication obstacle can generate a great deal of stress for the patient, family, and caregiver. Here the authors ask whether the use of an eye-tracking assistive device can improve quality of life for ALS patients and relieves burden of their primary caregivers. Subjects were divided into two groups depending on whether they used (n = 10) or did not use (n = 10) an eye-tracking assistive device. The authors assessed patients' quality of life and severity of depression using the ALS Specific Quality of Life Instrument-Revised and the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire, respectively. The Caregiver Burden Scale was used to assess the burden on caregivers. Our study shows that the eye-tracking assistive device significantly improved patients' quality of life, as compared with patients in the nonuser group (p <.01). The assistive device also reduced the burden on caregivers (p <.05). This is likely a result of the improvement of patient's autonomy and more effective communication between patient and caregiver.
['Hwang|Chi-Shin|CS|', 'Weng|Ho-Hsiu|HH|', 'Wang|Li-Fen|LF|', 'Tsai|Chon-Haw|CH|', 'Chang|Hao-Teng|HT|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis D062207:Brain-Computer Interfaces D017028:Caregivers D017281:Cost of Illness D005133:Eye Movements D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011788:Quality of Life D012656:Self-Help Devices
eye-tracking assistive device quality of life amyotrophic lateral sclerosis