Monitoring Computer Interactions to Detect Early Cognitive Impairment in Elders
By Jimison, Holly; Jessey, Nicole; McKanna, James; Zitzelberger, Tracy; Kaye, Jeffrey; Proceedings of the 1st Distributed Diagnosis and Home Healthcare (D2H2) Conference,Publication Date: 2006
Paper describes a pilot project to develop and test monitoring software for predicting the degree of cognitive health in seniors. Indicators of cognitive function selected were relative typing speed and accuracy, mouse movement efficiency, and relative performance on computer games designed for cognitive monitoring. The monitoring program for the project recorded data about user performance using functions from the Windows operating system. When a project participant interacted with the computer keyboard and mouse, the program recorded the date, time, key pressed, and inter-stroke interval, as well as mouse location and movement rate. A user study of the system was performed with 15 participants ranging in age from 71 to 96 years, 12 of whom were women, and 3 of whom had mild cognitive impairment. Participants had their home computer use monitored for a period of 6 months following software installation and computer training. Analysis of data collected during monitoring showed a possible relation between keyboard speed, that is, inter-stroke interval, and the variability of performance and cognitive function, with the degree of variability likely being the best indicator of dementia onset. Study limitations and implications for further research are discussed.
Published by: IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (Website:http://www.embs.org)
Link to text: http://www.orcatech.org/papers/D2H2_06_Jimison.pdf
