title: An eye-tracking assistive device improves the quality of life for ALS patients and reduces the caregivers' burden.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease. In some cases, patients with ALS retain a normal level of consciousness but disease progression eventually results in generalized paralysis, which first impedes and then prevents oral communication. This communication obstacle can generate a great deal of stress for the patient, family, and caregiver. Here the authors ask whether the use of an eye-tracking assistive device can improve quality of life for ALS patients and relieves burden of their primary caregivers. Subjects were divided into two groups depending on whether they used (n = 10) or did not use (n = 10) an eye-tracking assistive device. The authors assessed patients' quality of life and severity of depression using the ALS Specific Quality of Life Instrument-Revised and the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire, respectively. The Caregiver Burden Scale was used to assess the burden on caregivers. Our study shows that the eye-tracking assistive device significantly improved patients' quality of life, as compared with patients in the nonuser group (p <.01). The assistive device also reduced the burden on caregivers (p <.05). This is likely a result of the improvement of patient's autonomy and more effective communication between patient and caregiver.
authors.affiliation: a School of Medicine , National Yang Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Shin
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Ho-Hsiu
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Li-Fen
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chon-Haw
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hao-Teng
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D062207:Brain-Computer Interfaces / Q000592:standards*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012656:Self-Help Devices
keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; eye-tracking assistive device; quality of life