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Technology-based intervention to help persons with minimally conscious state and pervasive motor disabilities perform environmentally relevant adaptive behavior

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Abstract

Persons with a diagnosis of minimally conscious state and pervasive motor disabilities tend to be passive and isolated. A way to help them improve their adaptive behavior (relate to their environment) involves the use of intervention packages combining assistive technology with motivational strategies. The types of assistive technology included in those packages may consist of (a) microswitches allowing direct access to environmental stimuli, (b) combinations of microswitches and voice output communication devices (VOCAs) allowing stimulus access and calls for caregivers’ attention, respectively, and (c) computer presentations of stimulus options and microswitches allowing choice among those options and access to them.

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Conflict of interest

This supplement was not sponsored by outside commercial interests. It was funded entirely by ECONA, Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185 Roma, Italy.

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Correspondence to Giulio E. Lancioni.

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Lancioni, G.E., Singh, N.N., O’Reilly, M.F. et al. Technology-based intervention to help persons with minimally conscious state and pervasive motor disabilities perform environmentally relevant adaptive behavior. Cogn Process 13 (Suppl 1), 219–222 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-012-0485-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-012-0485-5

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