Initial evidence from a small pilot study showed smartglasses can reduce the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).
The researchers detected a reduction in ADHD-related symptoms in school-aged children, adolescents and young adults with ASD when using Empowered Brain, a gamified augmented reality system. Developed by pilot-study researcher Dr Ned Sahin, Harvard University, the system is a combination of Google Glass smartglasses and educational modules targeting socioemotional and behavioural skills. The small lightweight display can be worn on its own or over regular glasses, providing visual and audio guidance to users.
Smartglass intervention can potentially target a broader array of mental health conditions, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, authors wrote in JMIR Mental Health. They noted further research is required to understand the clinical importance of the observed changes and to conduct longitudinal studies on this intervention with control groups and larger samples.
