The role of a virtual avatar in attention and memory tasks in Rett syndrome

BACKGROUND: Since subjects with Rett syndrome (RTT) focus their attention mainly on the faces of people with whom they interact, in this study the role of a human-like smart interactive agent (an avatar) in enhancing cognitive processes is examined. More in depth, this study aimed to understand if, and to what extent, the use of an avatar can improve attention and memory abilities in subjects with RTT. METHOD: Thirty-six subjects with RTT participated in the study. All participants performed over-selectivity and memory tasks, for a total of six trials. These trials were randomly presented in two different conditions: with and without virtual avatar. RESULTS: The results indicated that the participants improved their attention and memory abilities when they performed the tasks with the avatar. There were no improvements when they performed the tasks without the avatar. DISCUSSION: The results were discussed considering the relationship between motivation, attention and memory in RTT. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-021-02212-w.