Early and Objective Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effects of ADHD Medication through Movement Analysis Using Video Recording Pixel Subtraction

Ying-Han Lee, Chen-Sen Ouyang, Yi-Hung Chiu, Ching-Tai Chiang, Rong-Ching Wu, Rei-Cheng Yang and Lung-Chang Lin
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Ying-Han Lee: Department of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
Chen-Sen Ouyang: Department of Information Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
Yi-Hung Chiu: Department of Information Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
Ching-Tai Chiang: Department of Computer and Communication, National Pingtung University, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
Rong-Ching Wu: Department of Electrical Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
Rei-Cheng Yang: Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
Lung-Chang Lin: Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-10

Abstract: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 5–7% of school-age children. ADHD is usually marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention or hyperactivity–impulsivity, leading to functioning or developmental problems. A common ADHD assessment tool is the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham (SNAP) questionnaire. However, such scales provide only a subjective perspective, and most of them are used to evaluate therapeutic effects at least 3–12 months after medication initiation. Therefore, we employed an objective assessment method to provide more accurate evaluations of therapeutic effects in 25 children with ADHD (23 boys and 2 girls). To evaluate the participants’ improvement and treatment’s effectiveness, the pixel subtraction technique was used in video analysis. We compared the efficacy of 1-month Ritalin or Concerta treatment by evaluating the movement in each video within 3 h of medication administration. The movement value was defined as the result of a calculation when using the pixel subtraction technique. Based on behavior observation and SNAP scores, both parent- and teacher-reported scores decreased after 1 month of medication (reduction rates: 19.61% and 16.38%, respectively). Specifically, the parent-reported hyperactivity subscale and teacher-reported oppositional subscale decreased more significantly. By contrast, the reduction rate was 39.27%, as evaluated using the average movement value (AMV). Considering symptomatic improvement as a >25% reduction in scores, the result revealed that the AMV decreased in 18 patients (72%) compared with only 44% and 56% of patients based on parent- and teacher-reported hyperactivity subscale scores. In conclusion, the pixel subtraction method can serve as an objective and reliable evaluation of the therapeutic effects of ADHD medication in the early stage.

Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; video analysis; pixel subtraction; Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham questionnaire (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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