New Kent-led research shows that popular mobile phone games could provide a new tool to help doctors spot early signs of cognitive decline, some of which may indicate the onset of serious conditions like dementia.<\/p>\n
Investigating the link between patterns of\u00a0tap, swipe and rotational gestures<\/strong>\u00a0during mobile game play and the users\u2019 cognitive performance, the research shows that the\u00a0speed, length and intensity<\/strong>\u00a0of these motions\u00a0correlates with brain function<\/strong>. In particular, the performance of these gestures reveals\u00a0key information<\/strong>\u00a0about players\u2019 visual search abilities, mental flexibility and inhibition of their responses. They all offer clues about the individuals\u2019\u00a0overall brain health<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The results of the study, \u2018Exploring the Touch and Motion Features in Game-Based Cognitive Assessments\u2019<\/strong>, will be presented on\u00a0Thursday 12 September<\/strong>\u00a0at the 2019\u00a0ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp)<\/a>. Collaborators\u00a0Dr Jim An<\/a>g<\/strong>,\u00a0Jittrapol Intarasirisawat<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Dr Christos Efstratiou<\/strong>\u00a0from Kent\u2019s\u00a0School of Engineering and Digital Arts<\/a>;\u00a0Luke William Feidham<\/strong>\u00a0Dickens<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0University College London<\/a>; and\u00a0Rupert A. Page<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust<\/a>\u00a0will present their findings.<\/p>\n Their research put\u00a021 healthy participants<\/strong>\u00a0through standard paper-based cognitive assessment tests, followed by 10-minute sessions of playing\u00a0Tetris<\/strong>,\u00a0Candy Crush Saga<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Fruit Ninja<\/strong>\u00a0over two separate periods, a fortnight apart. The three games selected were\u00a0chosen<\/strong>\u00a0because they are easy to learn, engaging for most players and involve intensive interactions using multiple gestures.<\/p>\n Using the\u00a0sensors<\/strong>\u00a0built into the mobile phones to collect data, the team showed how users interacted with the games and illustrated a\u00a0clear link<\/strong>\u00a0between the subjects\u2019\u00a0touch gestures, or taps and swipes, their rotational gestures and their levels of cognitive performance<\/strong>. The study revealed the participants\u2019 ability to perform visuo-spatial and visual search tasks, as well as testing their memory, mental flexibility and attention span.<\/p>\n The research team concluded that\u00a0off-the-shelf, popular mobile games can provide an effective measure of brain function<\/strong>\u00a0to spot changes in motor abilities which are commonly seen in patients with\u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s Disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive-disorder<\/strong>. Early detection of the signs of cognitive decline is crucial to effective treatment and prevention, as well as identification of individuals at risk of brain disease.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the study provides\u00a0evidence<\/strong>\u00a0of the potential<\/strong>\u00a0to use mobile gameplay<\/strong>\u00a0to detect changes in cognitive performance among\u00a0athletes<\/strong>\u00a0who are exposed to traumatic brain injuries, such as\u00a0boxers, rugby players and footballers<\/strong>. Using mobile technology is not only quicker than the traditional paper-based format, but makes it\u00a0easier<\/strong>\u00a0to carry out regular, repetitive testing and is more engaging for the individuals under assessment. The games are also easily modified to test specific cognitive abilities and place greater demands on users.<\/p>\n Dr\u00a0 Ang, who is a\u00a0senior lecturer in multimedia\/digital systems,<\/strong>\u00a0said: \u2018We are very encouraged by the results of our study and have since collected data from patients who showed signs of brain damage. This additional analysis\u00a0reinforced the conclusions<\/strong>\u00a0of our original research. We\u2019re now working to design an algorithm which can carry out automatic monitoring of individuals\u2019 cognitive performance while playing these games.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"