COMPUTER-BASED COGNITIVE PROSTHESIS FOR BRAIN INJURY

EACH YEAR 50,000 PEOPLE SURVIVE A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) BUT ARE LEFT WITH COGNITIVE DEFICITS WHICH PREVENT THEIR RETURN TO NORMAL LIVING. THESE DEFICITS INTERFERE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITY TO USE SOFTWARE DEVELOPED FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION. A PILOT CASE STUDY INDICATED THE SUCCESS OF A PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE FOR A BRAIN INJURED INDIVIDUAL WHEN THE INTERFACE AND FEATURES OF THE SOFTWARE WERE ADAPTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL'S COGNITIVE DEFICITS AND RESIDUAL RESOURCES. TRAINING TIME FOR THE SURVIVOR WAS ACCOMPLSHED IN THREE 30-MINUTE TRAINING SESSIONS PER MAJOR MODULE. THE CUSTOMIZED INTERFACE WAS EFFECTIVE FOR IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM RESULTS. RESEARCH WITH TWO ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS IS STILL IN PROGRESS, BUT RESULTS THUS FAR SUPPORT THE PILOT STUDY FINDINGS. THE HIGH FUNCTIONING LEVEL OF THE ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS SUGGESTS THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH MAY WELL BE APPROPRIATE FOR TBI SURVIVORS WHO ARE INDEPENDENT YET IMPAIRED. WE WILL PERFORM RESEARCH ON A TO DO LIST COGNITIVE PROSTHESIS WHICH WOULD BE CUSTOMIZED TO THE NEEDS OF TBI INDIVIDUALS. OUR APPROACH IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT RELIES ON A SELF-SUFFICIENCY MODEL COMBINING THEORETICAL BASIS FROM COMPUTER HUMAN INTERACTION, OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS, AND REHABILITATION AREAS TO IMPROVE THE FUNCTIONING OF TBI SURVIVORS. THIS RESEARCH FOCUSES STRONGLY ON PERFORMANCE MEASURES OBTAINED BY SYSTEM MONITOR LOGS OF THE USE OF THE PROSTHESIS, PERSONAL REPORTS, VIDEO DATA, AND NEUROPHSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS. THE RESULTS OF OUR RESEARCH WILL ORIGINATE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS FOR NEW INTERFACE GUIDELINE AND ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS FOR DEVELOPING ADAPTABLE PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS.