Neuropsychometrics: Development of a Neurocognitive Computational Assessment Suite
Abstract
Key cognitive abilitiessuch as sustained attention, processing speed, working memory, executive functioning, inhibitory control, and social-emotional processingplay a critical role in an individuals learnability. We define learnability as the capacity to learn new information, to interact adaptively with cognitive and emotional challenges in the environment, and to adapt tonew learning demands. These abilities show a high degree of inter-individual variation, and reflect functional capacities within the brains distributed neural systems. And yet, despite decades of cognitive science research investigating these processes and their underlying neural correlates, there is at present no reliable tool that can be used to assess these abilities in realworld settings in a manner that delivers a report that is meaningful to the individual or institution, easily interpretable, and actionable (i.e., capable of guiding vocational or clinicaldecision-making). We also know very little about how to map these processes onto an understanding of brain function and dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to develop such a tool, to acquire a large and informative normativedata set, and pilot this assessment tool in a relevant population to assess its ability to inform military career progression. Additionally, we will also perform exploratory work examining the tools neural system correlates and its variation within veterans with PTSD and TBI. This project is based on our emerging research findings in our studies on cognitive training in populationswith mental health conditions. We have developed an efficient iterative design process to create a suite of brief cognitive assessments that can either be self-administered or supported by a coach, is delivered via a web browser or a mobile application, and requires 30 minutes or less to administer. We also have experience using neuroimaging to investigate function and dysfunctionin neural systems that underlie these cognitive processes and their plasticity, and see this as an important near-term future direction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112463
Entities
People
- Sophia Vinogradov
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Regents of the University of Minnesota
- United States Navy