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

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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.