Abstract
Early and reliable detection of cognitive decline is one of the most important challenges of current healthcare. In this project, we developed an approach whereby a frequently played computer game can be used to assess a variety of cognitive processes and estimate the results of the pen-and-paper trail making test (TMT) - known to measure executive function, as well as visual pattern recognition, speed of processing, working memory, and set-switching ability. We developed a computational model of the TMT based on a decomposition of the test into several independent processes, each characterized by a set of parameters that can be estimated from play of a computer game designed to resemble the TMT. An empirical evaluation of the model suggests that it is possible to use the game data to estimate the parameters of the underlying cognitive processes and using the values of the parameters to estimate the TMT performance. Cognitive measures and trends in these measures can be used to identify individuals for further assessment, to provide a mechanism for improving the early detection of neurological problems, and to provide feedback and monitoring for cognitive interventions in the home.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 6732879 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1442-1452 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Additive stages
- Fitts'law
- computer game
- executive function
- neuropsychological test
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computer Science Applications
- Health Informatics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Health Information Management