Naturalistic Neurocognitive Assessment Using Mobile Gaming Platforms

The neurocognitive health of U.S. service members plays a vital role in the defense of the United States. It is critical to a service member"s effectiveness, to force readiness, and it is a key component of a service member"s successful reintegration into family life and society following deployment. Increased rates of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and psychological health problems experienced by service members have created a need to understand and examine ways to quickly and serially assess cognitive health over time using mobile and readily deployable technology. This project will create an engaging smartphone game with an imbedded cognitive assessment. It can be used to establish a service member"s cognitive baseline and be used repeatedly to assess cognitive change. Assessment results can be transmitted securely to a longitudinal cognitive assessment record/electronic health record. The game will be validated against pencil-and-paper and already validated automated cognitive tests. Industry leaders in game development, automated cognitive assessment, neuropsychological research and software development will design and develop the smartphone assessment. The new assessment/game will make serial cognitive assessment accessible and engaging for service members.