Enhancement of the ACRA Cognitive Assessment System

In Phase I, NTI conceptualized, designed, and demonstrated an enhanced Army Cognitive Readiness Assessment (ACRA) system that contained several innovations likely to revolutionize the way neurocognitive testing is carried out in the future. The initial effort expanded the number and range of ACRA tests, allowing application to all jobs and missions in DoD. A"test battery generator"was designed that will automatically select and configure the optimal set of tests probing an individual"s cognitive capacity to complete an assigned activity. This simplified and enhanced ACRA"s level of operational interpretation of warrior cognitive fightability never before possible. The system also incorporates unique analyses of test results based on the cognitive demands of any military mission or civilian job, yielding a quantitative index of the individual"s cognitive capacity to successfully meet those demands. Further, the enhanced system permits estimates of the effect of future work/rest schedules on this capacity, through models of sleep/fatigue and workload. Thus, the traditional static neurocognitive testing system is translated into a dynamic, predictive tool allowing the individual and/or command personnel to plan future operations. Finally, results are translated into easily interpreted graphic presentations allowing rapid assessment of individual or force status.