Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface for Attention Training in Adolescents with Attention Deficit: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Attention-deficit disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects adolescents’ quality of life. Attenti-ON is a hybrid brain-computer interface with a serious game developed for attention training but its use has not been evaluated in adolescents with attention deficit disorder. In this study, a proof-of-concept of the use of Attenti-ON by three adolescents with a diagnosis of this disorder is described. To this end, an evaluation was conducted which consisted of the performance assessment using the speed of the serious game avatar, the motivation through a visual analog scale, and the satisfaction by means of an ad-hoc questionnaire. The participants performed three tests in a single session. In each test, the main task was to use Attenti-ON with the serious game configured in different modes and make the avatar run as fast as possible with the objective of reaching the finishing line. All participants achieved the goal in each test. The performance of Attenti-ON was as expected as it allowed participants to sustain attention and enabled them to control the speed of the video game character, achieving the objectives in a single session. Participants’ motivation was higher after the use of Attenti-ON and the answers to the questionnaire reflected that the participants found Attenti-ON easy to use, felt comfortable, and were willing to use it again. All of the above suggests that Attenti-ON can be used by adolescents with attention deficit disorder. Therefore, it would be of interest to evaluate the use of Attenti-ON in the framework of a therapeutic intervention for attention deficit disorder.