INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 06 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 04:00 pm - 05:15 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 06: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2 Final Abstract #23 Repeated, Embedded Cognitive Measures in a Co-Designed Exergame for Older Adults in Long-Term Care Renée Biss, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada Henrique Matulis, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Haniya Bharucha, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Charlene Chu, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Category: Aging Keyword 1: computerized neuropsychological testing Keyword 2: aging disorders Objective: There is recent interest in neuropsychology in developing brief repeated tests to evaluate cognitive performance. These measures can be administered in real-life contexts and can capture intraindividual variability in cognition, as well as trends that occur over time. In this study, we analyzed repeated cognitive game performance data as older adults living in long-term care (LTC) homes played a custom exergame as part of an ongoing clinical trial. The exergame system, called the MouvMat, was co-designed with LTC residents and staff with the goal of engaging residents in physical, cognitive, and social stimulation. The 12 games that residents could play were intended to be simple and familiar. We explored the feasibility of extracting cognitive data from play sessions for three of the games, a short-term memory game for expanding sequences (“Sequences”), a game for finding words among letters (“WordFind”), and a pair matching memory game (“MemoryPairs”). Participants and Methods: Participants were 13 residents (M_age = 79.7 years; 8 women, 5 men) of two LTC homes in Toronto, Canada. Participants had mild to no cognitive impairment based on the MMSE. Data was gathered as part of a 6-week exergaming intervention trial, with cognitive outcome measures (i.e., WAIS-III Digit Span, Trails A and B, alternating sequences, phonemic fluency) collected one week preceding, at the mid-point, and one week following the intervention. The exergaming device consisted of 9 connected squares, each with an LED matrix to display low level graphics and a pressure sensor to detect responses. Both a larger floor version and a smaller tabletop version were used. Participants played the exergame three times per week, 45 minutes per session. Games were played in a group format with four to five peers; participants took turns, inserting a unique coded card for identification. Following completion of the intervention, we compiled game data for three of the games and assessed correlations with neuropsychological measures administered before the intervention. Results: Intraclass correlations for exergame measures indicated good reliability for performance across sessions for set size reached on the Sequences game and MemoryPairs accuracy, with moderate reliability for the number of WordFind words generated. Linear mixed models revealed significant practice effects on the Sequences task but not for WordFind or MemoryPairs. Spearman rank correlations showed that mean Sequences performance was significantly correlated with Trails A and Trails B time, while the mean number of words generated on the WordFind game was associated with MMSE score and Trails A time. Average accuracy on the MemoryPairs task was correlated with Digit Span and Trails A time. Conclusions: Our analysis supports the feasibility of using embedded gameplay performance collected over time to measure cognition in older adults living in LTC. Future investigations are needed to refine game-based cognitive measures as well as to evaluate whether game performance is associated with specific cognitive domains and can predict health and functional outcomes. The development of these measures holds promise to improve access to cognitive testing and monitoring in a population that typically does not have access to neuropsychological assessment.

Poster

02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2

Final Abstract #23

Repeated, Embedded Cognitive Measures in a Co-Designed Exergame for Older Adults in Long-Term Care

Renée Biss, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada
Henrique Matulis, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Haniya Bharucha, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Charlene Chu, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: computerized neuropsychological testing
Keyword 2: aging disorders

Objective:

There is recent interest in neuropsychology in developing brief repeated tests to evaluate cognitive performance. These measures can be administered in real-life contexts and can capture intraindividual variability in cognition, as well as trends that occur over time. In this study, we analyzed repeated cognitive game performance data as older adults living in long-term care (LTC) homes played a custom exergame as part of an ongoing clinical trial. The exergame system, called the MouvMat, was co-designed with LTC residents and staff with the goal of engaging residents in physical, cognitive, and social stimulation. The 12 games that residents could play were intended to be simple and familiar. We explored the feasibility of extracting cognitive data from play sessions for three of the games, a short-term memory game for expanding sequences (“Sequences”), a game for finding words among letters (“WordFind”), and a pair matching memory game (“MemoryPairs”).

Participants and Methods:

Participants were 13 residents (M_age = 79.7 years; 8 women, 5 men) of two LTC homes in Toronto, Canada. Participants had mild to no cognitive impairment based on the MMSE. Data was gathered as part of a 6-week exergaming intervention trial, with cognitive outcome measures (i.e., WAIS-III Digit Span, Trails A and B, alternating sequences, phonemic fluency) collected one week preceding, at the mid-point, and one week following the intervention. The exergaming device consisted of 9 connected squares, each with an LED matrix to display low level graphics and a pressure sensor to detect responses. Both a larger floor version and a smaller tabletop version were used. Participants played the exergame three times per week, 45 minutes per session. Games were played in a group format with four to five peers; participants took turns, inserting a unique coded card for identification. Following completion of the intervention, we compiled game data for three of the games and assessed correlations with neuropsychological measures administered before the intervention.

Results:

Intraclass correlations for exergame measures indicated good reliability for performance across sessions for set size reached on the Sequences game and MemoryPairs accuracy, with moderate reliability for the number of WordFind words generated. Linear mixed models revealed significant practice effects on the Sequences task but not for WordFind or MemoryPairs. Spearman rank correlations showed that mean Sequences performance was significantly correlated with Trails A and Trails B time, while the mean number of words generated on the WordFind game was associated with MMSE score and Trails A time. Average accuracy on the MemoryPairs task was correlated with Digit Span and Trails A time.

Conclusions:

Our analysis supports the feasibility of using embedded gameplay performance collected over time to measure cognition in older adults living in LTC. Future investigations are needed to refine game-based cognitive measures as well as to evaluate whether game performance is associated with specific cognitive domains and can predict health and functional outcomes. The development of these measures holds promise to improve access to cognitive testing and monitoring in a population that typically does not have access to neuropsychological assessment.