Digital Alternative Communication for Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: What We Have

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) progressively impairs motor function and communication.
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools are vital for maintaining autonomy and quality of life in ALS patients.
• Eye-image-based Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) offers a promising avenue for AAC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review eye-image-based HCI approaches for AAC in individuals with ALS.
• To identify and analyze existing strategies and computational techniques.
• To assess the feasibility and challenges of these technologies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic Literature Review (2010-2021) across six major scientific repositories.
• Inclusion/exclusion criteria and quality assessment applied to primary studies.
• Analysis of four identified HCI strategies: Eye-Gaze, Eye-Blink, Eye-Tracking, and Hybrid.

Main Results:

• Twenty-five primary studies were evaluated, revealing four main HCI strategies.
• Eye-Gaze (36%), Eye-Blink (28%), Eye-Tracking (28%), and Hybrid (8%) were the identified approaches.
• Computational techniques and development workflows were documented, demonstrating feasibility in control groups.

Conclusions:

• Eye-image-based HCI shows potential for developing AAC solutions for ALS.
• Lack of experimental testing in ALS patients indicates challenges in scalability, efficiency, and usability.
• Despite challenges, advancements offer a promising future for improving the lives of individuals with ALS.