Virtual Reality Attention Management Program for Improving Attention in Children

分心是一个日益严重的公共健康问题，据估计，分心会造成社会危害 1.在短信、社交媒体和电脑弹出窗口的时代，让人分心的事情 不可避免的。目前还没有已知的专门开发的干预措施来减少干扰 请注意。该项目将测试一种将虚拟现实(VR)技术与习惯性学习相结合的治疗方法 以及暴露疗法，以减少分心物干扰儿童学习和注意力的能力 很容易分心。我们将在有注意力症状的儿童身上测试这种治疗方法- 缺陷/多动障碍(ADHD)，因为它们代表了经历注意力分散障碍的丰富样本 这会干扰它们的日常运作。我们假设患有严重注意力不集中的儿童可以 在模拟环境的VR治疗中，学会忽略干扰并提高他们的注意力 集中注意力。我们的神经目标既是主动控制机制，也是反应性控制机制，用于抑制 分心处理。我们将评估VR疗法在通过眼跳调节分心抑制方面有多好 衡量和测量牵引器捕捉眼球运动的频率以及牵引器的效率 治疗前和治疗后的抑郁情绪。注意力分散者、家长和教师注意缺陷多动障碍的头部运动变化 评分标准和注意力要求高的任务的改进表现将进一步评估治疗的成功 以及它推广到新环境的能力。孩子们将在家里使用VR练习电脑练习 模拟教室环境的头戴式耳机，干扰频率很高。孩子们将表演 需要集中注意力的任务，就像他们在教室里一样，呈现的强度和速度 根据孩子的表现调整个性化的分心活动(例如，同龄人交谈，老师走过)。 有了今天的低成本虚拟现实游戏技术，孩子们将能够参加习惯性治疗 在家里，一周几次，使用轻便舒适的VR游戏耳机。 在这场VR治疗的快速失败测试中，R61阶段将评估初步的成功和可行性 在适应性训练与等待名单对照试验中，使用VR训练来修改眼跳以分散注意力。R33阶段 如果R61试验结果表明眼跳指标因VR治疗而改变，将开始。 与RFA一致，R33将测试VR疗法的目标参与程度之间的联系 和功能结果(家长和教师评分)和可行性。R33将比较自适应分心器 训练、非适应性分心训练和等待名单控制手臂对注意力高度分散的儿童进行训练。 这项试验的数据将决定是否继续进行更大规模的验证性研究，R01 项目。未来的研究将包括除了教室和更长时间的维护测试之外的新的VR场景 治疗的效果。该项目与NIMH战略计划相一致：目标3：努力预防 通过开发基于神经科学和行为科学的新的精确治疗方法。

Distraction is a growing and large public health problem with estimated societal harm due to distracted driving alone at $123 billion 1. In the age of texting, social media and computer pop-ups, distractions are unavoidable. There are no known interventions specifically developed to reduce distractions from interfering with attention. This project will test a treatment that combines virtual reality (VR) technology with habituation learning and exposure therapy to reduce the ability of distractors to interfere with learning and attention in children who are highly susceptible to being distracted. We will test the treatment in children with symptoms of attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they represent an enriched sample experiencing impairing distractibility that interferes with their daily functioning. We hypothesize that children who suffer from severe distractibility can learn to ignore the distractors and improve their attention in VR therapy that simulates environments requiring focused attention. Our neural targets are both proactive and reactive control mechanisms used to suppress distractor processing. We will assess how well VR therapy is at modulating distractor suppression via saccade metrics and measure the frequency of oculomotor capture by distractors as well as the efficiency of distractor suppression before and after therapy. Changes in head movement toward distractors, parent and teacher ADHD rating scales and improved performance on attention-demanding tasks will further assess success of the therapy and its ability to generalize to novel environments. Children will practice computer exercises at home using a VR headset that simulates a classroom environment with a high rate of distractors. Children will be performing attention-demanding tasks as if they were in a classroom with the intensity and rate of presentation of the personalized distractions (e.g., peers talking, teacher walking by) adapted according to the child’s performance. With today’s low-cost VR-gaming technology, children will be able to participate in habituation treatment sessions at-home, several times a week, using a lightweight and comfortable VR gaming headset. In this “fast fail” test of the VR therapy, the R61 phase will assess the preliminary success and feasibility of VR training to modify saccades to distractors in an adaptive training versus waitlist control trial. The R33 phase will commence if the R61 trial results indicate saccade metrics change in response to the VR treatment. Consistent with the RFA, the R33 will test the link between the degree of the VR therapy’s target engagement and functional outcomes (parent & teacher ratings) and feasibility. The R33 will compare an adaptive distractor training, non-adaptive distractor training and a waitlist control arm in children with high rates of distractibility. Data from this trial will determine whether to go forward for a subsequent confirmatory study in a larger, R01 project. Future studies will include new VR scenarios besides the classroom and a longer test of maintenance effects of the therapy. This project is consistent with the NIMH Strategic Plan: Objective 3: Strive for Prevention and Cures,” by developing new precision treatments based on neuroscience and behavioral science.