A Research for a User Interface to Assess and Improve User's Spatial Cognitive Ability

认知、空间和结构能力的评估是诊断和监测脑部疾病或损伤的重要临床工具。在认知脑功能的科学研究中也是不可或缺的。评估技术包括要求患者或参与者执行纯认知任务，如心理旋转，以及涉及将积木和拼图碎片安排到目标构型中的构建任务。这些建构性任务的优势不仅在于探索纯空间能力，还在于感知、计划和行动世界的能力。研究表明，对这些任务进行三维(3D)形式的评估可能是要求最高、最敏感的。然而，3D任务在评估中的应用受到其内在复杂性的限制，要想获得一致和可靠的评分，需要相当多的考官培训、精力和时间。作为该用户界面的原型，我们使用ActiveCube实现了该用户界面。在评估中，用户尝试构建目标3D形状，而他们所做的每一次形状变化都会被自动记录并评分以供评估。为了对该原型系统进行评估，我们进行了多次实验。因此，它对区分被试的认知能力和建构能力是足够敏感的。此外，我们还获得了改进原型系统的知识。通过对实验前后心理旋转测试成绩的比较，我们的原型用户界面能够提高用户的三维空间认知能力。

The assessment of cognitive spatial and constructional ability is an important clinical tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of brain disease or injury. It is also indispensable in scientific study of cognitive brain function. Techniques for assessment include asking patients or participants to perform purely cognitive tasks such as mental rotation, as well as constructional tasks involving arrangement of blocks and puzzle pieces into a target configuration. These constructional tasks have the advantage of probing not only pure spatial ability, but also the ability to perceive, plan, and act in the world. Studies suggest that assessment with three-dimensional (3D) forms of these tasks may be most demanding and sensitive. However, use of 3D tasks in assessment has been limited by their inherent complexity, which requires considerable examiner training, effort and time if scoring is to consistent and reliable.To overcome the limitations of existing 3D spatial cognitive assessments, we designed an automated tool for examination of 3D spatial cognitive ability. As a prototype of this user interface, we implemented by use of ActiveCube. In the evaluation, users attempt to construct a target 3D shape, while each change of shape they make is automatically recorded and scored for assessment. In order to evaluate this prototype system, we conducted several experiments. As a result, it is enough sensitive to distinguish subjects' cognitive and constructional abilities. Moreover, we have acquired knowledge to improve our prototype system. As a result of the comparisons between pre-experiment and post-experiment scores of mental rotation tests, our prototype user interface could improve users' 3-D spatial cognitive ability.