Assessing visual motor performance in autistic children based on Kinect and fNIRS: A case study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) incidence is rising, necessitating effective rehabilitation strategies.
• Objective evaluation methods for autism rehabilitation are lacking.
• Visual-motor skills training is a key intervention for children with autism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively evaluate the impact of visual-motor skills training on children with autism using quantitative measures.
• To identify neurophysiological and kinematic differences between children with varying responses to rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized vision sensors and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor 20 children with autism during visual-motor tasks.
• Categorized participants into high- and low-score groups based on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC).
• Analyzed brain activation, functional connectivity, and movement kinematics (speed, acceleration, angle).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in brain activity were observed in the left/right temporal lobes, right motor cortex, and left occipital lobe between high- and low-score groups.
• Functional connectivity differences were most pronounced during left-hand movement under green light stimulus (p < 0.05).
• Kinematic differences, particularly in speed and acceleration, were mainly associated with left-hand movement.

Conclusions:

• Visual-motor training enhances brain activation and functional connectivity in children with autism.
• Increased left-hand training frequency and green light stimuli appear beneficial for improving brain function.
• Findings support optimizing rehabilitation programs for better effectiveness in autism intervention.