Brain Trauma Assessment Protocols
Goals
To build a suite of mobile applications for iOS and Android devices that will be used to administer and collect data from individuals who have suffered brain traumas with lingering effects (e.g., stroke leading to Aphasia, Alzheimers, etc.). The apps will be based on established protocols of clinical assessment including (but not limited to) the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), Aphasia Depression Rating Scale (ADRS), and the Halstead Reitan Battery (HRB). Teams will be required to make novel use of the touch, audio, and video capabilities of mobile devices to administer the above protocols to collect and analyze the following information from affected individuals: visual, auditory, and tactual input; verbal communication; spatial and sequential perception; the ability to analyze information, form mental concepts, and make judgments; motor output; and attention, concentration, and memory.
Issues Involved or Addressed
The motivation of this team is to address concerns expressed by NSF and NIH that the variability and lack of frequent measurements in healthcare creates a challenge in providing a baseline of data that can be used to improve the overall quality of life for each affected individuals. The suite of mobile apps developed through this VIP team will allow help establish consistent and more frequent assessment of affected individuals that will be directly translatable to health care monitoring and development of plans for rehabilitation. Specifically, the following research issues will need to be addressed: User interface design for adults with brain trauma injuries; Collection and analysis of touch responses; High quality audio/video recording and signal processing; Data security for web-based uploads to allow doctor access to data collected from the homes of affected individuals.
