Summary : Dr Dumas' research in social neuroscience and computational psychiatry has led to the development of Pop'Balloons, a video game designed to assess sensory-motor and cognitive skills in people with autism. The prototype uses Microsoft's Hololens 2 mixed reality headset, a hybrid between virtual and augmented reality that allows players to see holograms projected into their physical environment. This offers the advantage of an engaging, immersive experience while preventing the player from being isolated from his or her outside world. The prototype also features a profile system, enabling multiple people to be tracked using the same headset.
Research question
Is it safe to use the Hololens headset as well as the Pop'Balloons game with neurotypical and autistic children?
What mixed-reality video game settings ensure and facilitate greater inclusion of players with ASD (inclusive design)?
Can the data collected via the Pop'Balloons game be used to identify sub-group characteristics in people with ASD (deep phenotyping)?
Participants will be selected from among patients at CHU Ste-Justine clinics. The ASD group will be recruited from the outpatient clinics of the project's research psychiatrists and collaborators. The control group will be recruited from the dermatology, metabolic diseases and orthopedics clinics at CHU Ste-Justine. The aim is to create a group of people with a diagnosis of ASD (ASD group) and a group of people with no psychiatric or neurological disorders or history (control group). Patients and families expressing an interest in the study will be given a consent form at least one week beforehand. The research project will also be presented and explained during their initial visit to the hospital. The free and informed consent of parents and participants over the age of majority is essential for admission to the study; we also ensure the assent of minor participants and those over the age of majority who lack the capacity to consent. Other participants may be recruited at conferences, forums or other specialized events where we present the Pop'Balloons game.
For the ASD group, the results of baseline tests confirming the diagnosis, as well as scores on questionnaires assessing participants' cognitive and motor skills, will be consulted via the medical record. The measures (as well as the concepts evaluated) available via the medical record are : Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS; autism diagnosis), Conner's Patient + Teacher (autism diagnosis), Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ; communication and social functioning), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; emotional and behavioral problems), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; executive functions) Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED; anxiety), and the Raven Matrix test. Missing data will be completed, if necessary, in computerized format by the parents.
Participants will have to pass the different levels of the Pop'Balloons game (see appendix 1 and 2). The game is available in two modes: 1) motor mode, with 4 levels, and 2) cognitive mode, with 7 levels. All participants will be asked to create a player profile in the game, using a unique anonymous code that will be used to link with other data, notably clinical. They will then complete the various levels of the game, first in motor mode and then in cognitive mode.
Researchers: Dr Guillaume Dumas' Precision Psychiatry and Social Physiology team laboratory
Contact: To participate in the study or for more information, you may contact at any time : ● Gabriela Milanova, recruitment manager (Email) : gabirela.millanova.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca ● Mariem Hafsia, PhD student (Email) : mariem.hafsia@umontreal.ca
Who can participate?
Inclusion criteria for participants with ASD To be eligible for this project, you must meet the following criteria:
● Be a girl or boy between the ages of 6 and 18
● French or English mother tongue
● Have a documented diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
● Not have an Intellectual Disability
● Not have a condition preventing the use of a mixed-reality headset: blindness, strabismus or eye muscle dysfunction, upper and/or lower limb paralysis, epilepsy, migraine and vertigo.
Inclusion criteria for participants with no diagnosis of ASD To be eligible for this project, you must meet the following criteria:
● Be a girl or boy between the ages of 6 and 18
● French or English mother tongue
● Have no diagnosed neurological or psychiatric disorders
● Not have an intellectual disability
● Not have a condition preventing the use of a mixed-reality headset: blindness, strabismus or eye muscle dysfunction, upper and/or lower limb paralysis, epilepsy, migraine, and vertigo.
What’s involved?
The study will take place at the CHU Sainte-Justine research center.
Implication
● Complete a set of assessment questionnaires and psychometric tests.
● Complete a game-like task, wearing mixed-reality glasses with a Hololens headset 2 headset (approx. 30 minutes)
● Answer questions about your gaming experience and potential improvements (approx. 1h30 minutes) If applicable, how will participants be compensated for their participation? In terms of compensation, participants will be offered a symbolic gift worth approximately CAD 10 will be given to the participating child, and if applicable parking will be reimbursed.
Deadline: There is no deadline to participate.
Contact Information: Gabriela Milanova, recruitment manager (Email) : gabirela.millanova.hsj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca