Digital interventions for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Interventions
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
• Clinical Trial Analysis

Background:

• Digital health interventions (DHIs) are increasingly available for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but their effectiveness requires rigorous evaluation.
• Assessing the validity and feasibility of DHIs is crucial for evidence-based practice in ASD intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the effectiveness of DHIs in improving core symptoms and intelligence quotient (IQ) in patients with ASD.
• To synthesize findings from randomized clinical trials to determine the impact of DHIs on ASD outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases.
• Included randomized clinical trials comparing DHIs for ASD with control groups (active, waitlist, treatment-as-usual, or no treatment).
• Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2) was used for quality assessment.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 33 studies with 1285 participants revealed significantly greater improvements in ASD overall performance with DHIs compared to controls (effect size = 1.89).
• DHIs showed large effect sizes when compared to waitlist, treatment-as-usual, and no-treatment controls (Cohen's d: 4.27, 3.41, 4.52, respectively).
• DHIs demonstrated an effect size of 0.73 when compared to active controls, indicating a moderate benefit.

Conclusions:

• DHIs are effective in improving core symptoms and IQ in individuals with ASD.
• The findings support the use of DHIs as a beneficial intervention for ASD, potentially reducing the economic burden associated with the condition.