Cognitive/Motor Therapy Application Using Console-Based Videogame Platform

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a leading source of morbidity in U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Each year 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI and there are 5.3 million people with a permanent TBI-related disability in the U.S. Videogames have been shown to increase TBI patient cognitive ability, memory and recall. The purpose of this proposal is to meld clinical strategies used in treating TBI patients with intrinsically motivating video games. A computerized intervention that incorporates both state-of-the-art gaming technology and state-of-the-art cognitive and motor rehabilitation strategies has the potential to be efficacious, cost-effective, and highly-motivating for a generation of patients who are habitual users of computerized games as a source of entertainment. The Phase I study developed a videogame that demonstrated the process of incorporating clinical and entertainment requirements into a videogame. This Phase II study will validate videogame performance and effectiveness through clinical testing with TBI patients and continue the development of videogames for TBI treatment through intense iterative interaction between TBI treatment clinicians and professional game designers. This collaboration utilizes the latest software development tools to define detail game design requirements and uses a storyboard process to generate game scenarios.