I-Corps: Neurologic assessment tool to identify patients with traumatic brain injury

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种设备，以测量大脑在瞬间做出决定的能力(大脑速度)，以识别创伤性脑损伤(TBI)。执行功能是大脑专注于重要事情的能力。与快速反应时间相结合，执行功能使人类能够在瞬间做出重要的决定。然而，目前用来测量这些“大脑生命体征”的方法昂贵、不准确，而且过度依赖计算机。众所周知，反应时间和执行功能与脑震荡/脑外伤、衰老、跌倒风险、睡眠障碍、药物使用和驾驶安全有关。这项拟议的技术具有在各种应用中使用的潜力。体育部门和国防部(DoD)对便携式、客观的头部损伤后认知功能测量的需求显然尚未得到满足，急诊科和医院将受益于这项技术的速度、简单性和成本。老年病医生和理疗师都表示有兴趣对患者的大脑速度进行快速测试。最后，这项技术测试的是瞬间做出决定的能力，因此执法部门和机动车部门可能会应用这项技术来增强驾驶员的安全性。这个i-Corps项目基于开发一种临床神经学评估工具，用于评估创伤性脑损伤(TBI)患者的反应时、短潜伏期脉冲抑制和执行功能。该装置用于测量反应时间和基于落尺方法的快速决策。准确测量反应时间有助于脑震荡患者的诊断、预后和恢复监测。此外，美国国家大学体育协会(NCAA)-美国国防部资助的震荡评估研究和教育(CARE)研究的最新数据表明，拟议的技术在诊断脑震荡方面比行业标准的计算机化测试(IMPACT)更有效，同时管理更快，更便携，更具成本效益。已公布的证据表明，基于屏幕的反应时间测试的准确性和精确度受到硬件/软件不一致以及测试的非激励性质量的影响。与计算机化测试相比，建议的技术已被证明具有内在的激励作用，并导致更快、更少变化的响应时间。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a device to measure the brain's ability to make split-second decisions (brain speed) to identify traumatic brain injury (TBI). Executive function is the brain’s ability to focus on what matters. Paired with quick reaction time, executive function allows humans to make important, split-second decisions. However, the methods currently used to measure these “brain vital signs” are expensive, inaccurate, and overly reliant on computers. Reaction time and executive function are known to be associated with concussion/TBI, aging, fall risk, sleep disorders, drug use, and driving safety. The proposed technology has the potential for use in a variety of applications. Athletic departments and the Department of Defense (DoD) have a clear unmet need for a portable, objective measure of cognitive function following head injuries, and emergency departments and hospitals would benefit from the speed, simplicity, and cost of this technology. Geriatricians and physical therapists have expressed interest in allowing rapid testing of their patient’s brain speed. Lastly, this technology tests the ability to make split-second decisions, so there may be applications for law enforcement and the Department of Motor Vehicles to enhance driver safety with this technology.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a clinical neurologic assessment tool for the assessment of reaction time, short latency impulse inhibition, and executive function for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The proposed device is designed to measure reaction time and quick decision making based on a ruler-drop method. Accurate measurement of reaction time has been shown to be useful in the diagnosis, prognosis, and recovery monitoring of those suffering from concussion. In addition, recent data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-DoD funded Concussion Assessment Research and Education (CARE) study indicate that the proposed technology is more effective than the industry standard computerized test (ImPACT) at diagnosing concussion, while being faster to administer, more portable, and more cost-effective. There is published evidence that the accuracy and precision of screen-based reaction time tests suffer due to hardware/software inconsistencies and due to the non-motivating quality of the tests. The proposed technology has been shown to be inherently motivating and results in faster and less variable response times as compared with computerized testing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.