title: Persons with acquired brain injury and multiple disabilities access stimulation independently through microswitch-based technology.
abstract: The possibility of enabling two adults with acquired brain injury and profound multiple disabilities to use microswitch-based technology to attain preferred environmental stimuli on their own was assessed. Each of the participants was provided with two microswitches that could be activated by right and left head-turning or head-bending responses. The microswitches were introduced sequentially according to a multiple probe design across microswitches (responses) and allowed access to different sets of auditory or visual stimuli. Eventually, the two microswitches were made available simultaneously. Sessions lasted 5 min. Each participant learned to use the two microswitches successfully and maintained consistent levels of responding when they were simultaneously available. During this phase, both participants showed large within-session variations in their right and left response frequencies, with one of them showing an overall prevalence of the left-side response. The importance of assistive technology within programs for persons with acquired brain injury and multiple disabilities is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bari, Via Quintino Sella 268, 70100 Bari, Italy. g.lancioni@psico.uniba.it
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Nirbhay N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buonocunto
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Luigi M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Addante
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020208:Brain Injury, Chronic / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D019416:Head Movements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055616:Microtechnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation