Implementación de un dispositivo terapéutico para niños con Trastorno por Deficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) mediante sensores cerebrales a fin de mejorar su concentración.

Abstract

The objective of this graduate research project was to implement a therapeutic device for the treatment of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children using brain sensors and a dynamic interface to control actuators via signals emitted by the brain. The methodological process of this work included brain wave reading, signal processing, interface development, actuator implementation and device evaluation. A brain wave headband was used to read the signals emitted by the children’s brains and receive them on a computer via bluetooth, where the signals were then processed in a timely manner to transform them into information that could be understood by the interface through the eSense (owned by NeuroSky) algorithm, and the plyread library, preprogrammed for Matlab. The graphical environment was developed using Matlab software and made suitable for children through child-friendly graphics - in this way it was possible to attract the attention of children. Through the levels of concentration and blinking, users are able to proceed through the development of the 3 programmed difficulty challenges in the interface. The actuators are made up of LED lights, a lamp and a game programmed on a screen. The tests carried out on the device verified its functionality. To implement this, an interface was developed where concentration data were obtained before and after the proposed levels of difficulty were performed. The results determined that there was a significant improvement in concentration for the research participants. In conclusion, we were able to implement a technological device capable of achieving an improvement in concentration levels in children, which has neurological therapeutic benefits and is easy to operate. It is recommended to use the application developed as a support tool in the treatment of ADHD in school-age children.