The Development of a Mobile Health Platform and Naturalistic Game Applications for Health Assessment, Intervention, and Evaluation.
Grant
Overview
abstract
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The Development of a Mobile Health Platform and Naturalistic Game Applications for Health Assessment, Intervention, and Evaluation The Overall Goal of this R&D project is to develop, pilot, and deploy a mobile gaming platform that permits assessment and monitoring of reaction time and attention, assesses autonomic nervous system function and provides a game mechanism for managing stress and improving cognition, health and performance. Due to a dramatic rise in mild traumatic brain injuries (It is estimated that 20% of all combat troops will experience a concussion while deployed) increased emphasis has rightly been placed on finding ways to assess cognitive deficits and improve mTBI. The effects of traumatic brain injury are often associated with other dysfunctional conditions, specifically, chronic pain and PTSD. Posttraumatic stress (PTSD) is another prevalent problems that results in cognitive deficits and affects approximately three hundred thousand U.S. troops are suffering as a result of serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anticipated Benefits Both mTBI and PTSD dramatically affect all aspects of cognition and, in turn, overall performance. Pen and paper tests have been the standard measure in neurocognitive assessment until recently when studies suggested that automated assessments could provide additional detail such as subtle cognitive deficits stemming from different types of concussion. Neither testing technique is as readily accessible in the field and therefore have limited applicability. Neurocognitive assessment on a cell phone that can capture data in the field on repeated occasions are needed. This project involves the development and testing of a game based neurocognitive assessment that is accessible, reliable, accurate, and enjoyable. The inexpensive, mobile phone based, assessment of cognition will be downloadable as an App and become immediately accessible to thousands of military personnel as well as millions of community residents. Once normative data is developed strategies to predict, prevent and treat cognitive decline will be greatly enhanced. In studies conducted in our lab we discovered that off the shelf casual video games video games could improve cognitive functioning as well as increase mood and decrease stress. Commercial Applications People in general are concerned about their performance and appreciate ways to measure it when they can. Heart rate monitors and pedometers and video arcades are a few examples. The proposed game will provide an opportunity to assess cognitive performance and quantify the results. Military personnel are acutely aware of the need to perform at optimum levels and understand the benefit of being able to be ?tested? and the performance report. Humans often compete among each other and games with the ultimate goal of increasing performance. The proposed game App can be used across the spectrum in the military from Wounded Warriors who could use the it to measure and monitor cognitive changes caused or exacerbated by their condition to Special Operation is personnel who can use the assessment to measure and monitor their cognitive status. Health care practitioners will be able to make more accurate recommendations for treatment and decisions about soldiers? cognitive fitness level for duty. There are multiple markets for this neurocognitive assessment video game in addition to the military. By changing the story line, Aps can be designed to assess the elderly where cognitive decline is of great concern. Those suffering from mTBI and PTSD in the community will also benefit by having the ability to measure their cognitive status. People in general who are interested in assessing their cognitive fitness level represent a large consumer market. It is our intention to further develop this game into a popular and challenging game that can
date/time interval
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September 2012 - September 2015
awarded by