The game, called the Computerized Motor Imitation Assessment (CAMI), asks children to imitate the dance moves of an on-screen character for one minute. More than 180 children aged 7 to 13 participated in the study.
The game, called the Computerized Motor Imitation Assessment (CAMI), asks children to imitate the dance moves of an on-screen character for one minute. More than 180 children aged 7 to 13 participated in the study.
The concept is based on the fact that people with autism often try to copy or imitate the movements of other people, notes the Daily Mail.
Researchers from Nottingham Trent University and the Kennedy Krieger Institute in the US also found that CAMI could distinguish between autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with up to 70% accuracy. They said this was important because children often suffer from both conditions and it can be difficult for experts to distinguish between their symptoms.
Dr Bahar Tuncgenc, a social development expert at Nottingham, says that while autism is traditionally associated with communication problems, CAMI also takes into account other, lesser-known features.
«We are increasingly aware that people with autism have sensory-motor difficulties, such as motor imitation, which can have a negative impact on the development of social interaction and communication skills in childhood. CAMI is studying these sensory-motor difficulties, showing that they are not unique to children with ADHD,» she said.
She added that CAMI is so interesting because of its simplicity compared to traditional diagnostic measures.
«Video games are already so popular. It’s fun for kids and provides quick results that are easy for doctors to interpret. I hope that CAMI will eventually be used in clinical practice everywhere,» she said.
Dr. Stuart Mostofsky, a pediatric neurologist at Kennedy University and co-author of the study, believes that CAMI could be a huge step forward in diagnosing autism.
«This tool has the potential to transform autism diagnosis worldwide. By identifying autism as accurately as possible, we can connect children to interventions that improve their quality of life and long-term outcomes. We want CAMI to be widely used in clinics to support diagnosis and treatment as an alternative that is fast, inexpensive, and requires minimal setup,» he said.
