Longitudinal cognitive rehabilitation applied with eye-tracker for patients with Rett Syndrome

Background: longitudinal effects of cognitive rehabilitation in Rett Syndrome (RTT) have been poorly investigated and the mechanisms do not appear to have been described in detail. Aims: the aim of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive rehabilitation with eye-tracker technology on attention, choice behaviours and language over a 2-year period in patients with RTT. Methods and procedures: 28 participants with RTT, ranging from age 4–22 years old (M = 13.85 years, SD = 5.89), received 30 min of cognitive rehabilitation with eye-tracker for 3 days a week over a 1-month for 2 years. They then underwent cognitive assessment to evaluate attention, choice, language and global functioning in four specific times: before cognitive rehabilitation (T1), after six months of cognitive rehabilitation (T2), six months after the second cognitive rehabilitation phase (T3) and at the end of the third cognitive rehabilitation phase (T4). Outcome and results: patients with RTT show long-term improvements in seconds of attention and number of choice behaviours, with barely any improvement in global functioning. No improvement in language was found. Conclusions and implications: this is the first study aimed at examining longitudinal effects of cognitive rehabilitation in patients with RTT, demonstrating a linear improvement across time in attention and choice.