Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
used for the discrimination of the emissions of the second participant was based on a com-
mercially available speech recognition program, which was combined with a specially devel-
oped control program. The participants increased the frequencies of their responses during
the intervention (i.e., when positive environmental stimuli followed those utterances). The
systems' percentages of correct response discrimination were approximately 70%.
Lancioni et al. (2006b) worked with three participants who were between 7 and 16
years of age and targeted two responses for each of them. The responses involved vocal-
ization and repeated chin movements, light knee movement, minimal movement of a
grid hanging close to the participant's face (while the participant was lying on her back),
and mouth closing, and hand opening. The microswitches used for vocalization and
chin movements matched those previously described for the same responses (Lancioni
and Lems 2001; Lancioni et al. 2004a). The microswitches used for mouth closing and
hand opening consisted of specially adapted versions of the aforementioned micro-
switch for chin movements. The microswitches used for knee and grid movements were
combinations of tilt devices. The microswitches were introduced individually. After the
introduction of the second microswitch, the participants were provided with the simul-
taneous availability of both microswitches. The participants could choose between the
microswitches and related responses and, more importantly, between the sets of stimuli
connected to the different microswitch/response combinations. Eventually, the study
assessed whether the participants' preference for one response or the other was uniquely
related to the stimuli following that response (i.e., the higher preference for those stimuli)
or was also determined by a preference for the response as such. All three participants
were very successful in acquiring the responses selected for them. They also showed
clear differences in the frequencies of the responses. Those differences were apparently
due to the stimuli available for the responses for two of the participants. The differences
seemed to be due to a combined impact of the stimuli and of the response for the third
participant.
Lancioni et al. (2009b) arranged a program for a post-coma man of 45 years of age, who
presented with a minimally conscious state and extensive neuromotor disabilities. The
responses targeted for him were head and foot movements. The microswitches used for
these responses consisted of pressure devices at the wheelchair's headrest and a combina-
tion of tilt and pressure devices on the man's right foot. During intervention, head move-
ments activating the headrest's sensors allowed access to video-clips; foot movements
activating the combination of sensors on it allowed access to audio-recordings. The micro-
switches were introduced individually and then made available simultaneously. The man
learned to use both responses (increasing their frequencies) and related microswitches
during the initial intervention phases. He continued to have high responding levels during
the final intervention phase (i.e., when both microswitches were available simultaneously
within the sessions) with a possible preference trend for the foot-movement response.
Lancioni et al. (2010b) worked with two post-coma adults of 56 and 53 years of age
who presented with a minimally conscious state and extensive neuromotor disabilities.
The responses targeted for the first participant consisted of finger and head movements;
the responses targeted for the second participant consisted of eyelid upward movements
and hand stroking. The microswitches used for the finger movements and hand stroking
involved touch-sensitive pads. The microswitch used for eyelid movements was an optic
sensor (see Lancioni et al. 2006f). The microswitch used for head movements consisted of
mini tilt devices. The microswitches were introduced individually. Once responding had
consolidated on each of them, their use was alternated; that is, sessions with one micro-
switch/response were alternated with sessions with the other microswitch/response.
