In our high-stakes world, a person’s ability to adapt and react effectively to changes in their surroundings, also known as cognitive readiness, is of utmost importance – more so in fields such as the military. Maintaining this mental agility becomes a core aspect of overall health, safety, and successful completion of missions for the service personnel.
Yet, multiple factors can potentially compromise cognitive readiness. From sleep deprivation to traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the challenge is omnipresent. Indeed, TBI has been diagnosed in more than 500,000 military personnel since 2000, incurred either through training accidents or battlefield explosions. Some cognitive afflictions may recover with rest; however, others require intense medical intervention.
Today’s Tools and Tomorrow’s Solutions
Despite the severe repercussions, the tools we employ currently to gauge cognitive readiness, more often than not, fall short. As per the insights from Christopher Smalt of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Human Health and Performance Systems Group, present-day tests fail to discern subtle changes in cognitive function, rendering it difficult to deliver prompt and effective care.
Addressing this gap, the researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory are devising two cutting-edge tools – READY and MINDSCAPE. These portable diagnostic tools are meant to provide precise assessments of brain health, even in field conditions.
READY, also known as Rapid Evaluation of Attention for DutY, is a mobile-based application capable of screening cognitive changes in less than 90 seconds. MINDSCAPE or Mobile Interface for Neurological Diagnostic Situational Cognitive Assessment and Psychological Evaluation employs virtual reality (VR) for comprehensive evaluation. The harmonious interplay of these tools empowers medical professionals with valuable real-time insights that can shape treatment decisions instantaneously.
Smart Assessments with Advanced Technologies
Both READY and MINDSCAPE have been engineered based on a decade-worth study into recognizing key biomarkers of cognitive readiness. These indicators include balance, eye movement, and speech. The cornerstone of readiness is, as Thomas Quatieri points out, attention. It allows our brain to brace itself and respond to real-time sensory information.
Examining attention through three tests: tracking a moving dot with the eyes, maintaining balance, and holding a steady vowel sound, READY calculates a “wobble” score. Should the score suggest impairment, a more in-depth analysis can be carried out through MINDSCAPE.
MINDSCAPE engages its users in VR-based scenarios, testing reaction time, working memory, and performing other functions. With support from EEG, photoplethysmography, and pupillometry sensors, more precise diagnostics can be facilitated.
Adapting and Advancing in Real-Time
The adaptability of READY and MINDSCAPE along with their capacity to tap into pre-existing hardware in smartphones, tablets, and VR headsets make them not only effective but also scalable and cost-effective. This means that they can be distributed quickly without the need for costly new devices.
In addition, these tools can be integrated with other technologies being developed at Lincoln Laboratory, such as EYEBOOM, a wearable system that tracks eye and body movements to keep a tab on blast exposure. If EYEBOOM detects a hazardous exposure, it could prompt the individual to undergo a READY test and, if necessary, a MINDSCAPE evaluation. In Smalt’s words, “We’re not just building tools—we’re building a framework for how cognitive health can be assessed and managed in real time, in any environment.”
While these tools are primarily intended for military use, their application possibilities stretch far and wide. From sports to healthcare and education, the impact of quick and reliable brain health assessments is massive. To ensure these tools adhere to stringent, evidence-based standards, the READY team is also collaborating with the Brain Trauma Foundation oraz Military TBI Initiative.
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