International Meeting for Autism Research (London, May 15-17, 2008): DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW TOOLKIT ENABLING WEARABLE WIRELESS AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM COMMUNICATION FOR PERSONS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM
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DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW TOOLKIT ENABLING WEARABLE WIRELESS AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM COMMUNICATION FOR PERSONS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

Saturday, May 17, 2008
Champagne Terrace/Bordeaux (Novotel London West)
10:30 AM
R. W. Picard , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
M. Goodwin , The Groden Center, Inc., Providence, RI
R. Fletcher , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
H. Eydgahi , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
C. Williams , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
A. Marecki , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
C. H. J. Lee , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
R. Morris , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
K. Kim , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
S. Mota , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
R. El Kaliouby , Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Background:  The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a control system in the body with far-reaching influences, including maintenance of heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, perspiration, discharge of urine, shifting of attention, signaling of anticipation and salience, biasing of memory, and more. The autism literature includes many measures of ANS activity, showing, for example, that both skin conductance and heart rate responses in children and adults on the spectrum are generally increased or decreased compared to non-autistic controls.  However, these studies have been limited to short intervals of measurement in research laboratories because the sensors are cumbersome, wired to medical devices, subject to motion artifacts, or prohibitively expensive.

Objectives: To develop low-cost tools enabling comfortable, wireless, ultra-dense accurate measurement and communication of in-situ ANS data for people on the autism spectrum while they go about natural activities. 

Methods:    We are constructing a wrist-worn wireless device that includes skin conductance, motion, and heart-rate sensing.  We tested the skin conductance portion in four individuals with high-functioning autism while they engaged in a conversation with familiar teachers in a school and with one non-verbal 6-year-old diagnosed with autism for several days and nights of typical activity.  We are evaluating comfort, ease of use, motion artifacts, and validity of data.

Results:   All the participants tolerated wearing the device.  We observed minimal motion artifacts. Concomitant analyses of skin conductance and conversational topic preferences revealed sensitivity to changes in arousability. Data capture from the non-verbal child showed skin conductance patterns during rocking, flapping, seizures, and sleep.  We will present this data graphically with annotations, together with a live demonstration of the new technology.

Conclusions:  We have the first working pieces of a low-cost, comfortable toolkit that will enable autism researchers and people on the spectrum to begin to characterize and communicate continuous ANS activity in natural environments.

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