We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Spanish government through its Plan Nacional I+D+i (R+D+i National Research Plan, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness), project ref: PET2008_0225, with the second author as principal investigator; and CONICYT-Chile [FONDECYT REGULAR N&#186; 1191589], with the first author as principal investigator. We also thank the Unidad de Audiovisuales ULL team for their participation in the production of the video.

This protocol was conducted in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Comit&#233; de &#201;tica de la Investigaci&#243;n y Bienestar Animal (Research Ethics and Animal Welfare Committee, CEIBA), Universidad de La Laguna.
NOTE: The Bater&#237;a multimedia para la evaluaci&#243;n de habilidades cognitivas y b&#225;sicas en matem&#225;ticas [Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)]61 was developed using Unity 2.0 Professional Edition and the SQLITE Database Engine. BM-PROMA includes 12&#160;subtests: 8 to assess domain-specific skills and 4 to evaluate domain-general processes. For each subtest, provide instructions orally by an animated humanoid robot and precede the testing phase with a demonstration and two training trials. The application protocol for each task is presented below with an example.
1. Experimental setup
<ol>
	<li>Use the following inclusion criteria: children in primary education between second and sixth grade; native speakers of Spanish.</li>
	<li>Use the following exclusion criteria: children with a history of neurological,intellectual, or sensory deficits.</li>
	<li>Install the Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics. BM-PROMA is distributed using a single file. This file is an automated installer that allows the user to select the installation destination. The installer detects previous versions of the tool and warns the user about possible data loss due to overwriting. The installation creates shortcuts in the Windows &#39;Start&#39; menu. Additionally, the installer provides a batch file (known as a .bat file in Windows) to automate the database backup process. The tool runs in full screen mode at a resolution of 800x600 pixels. The tool cannot run in windowed mode.
	<ol>
		<li>Before a student can be assessed, add their data to the student database. Once the child has been registered, select them by clicking on the relevant entry in the student list. Tasks are selected at random by the examiner or the child. Tasks begin as soon as the examiner or the child clicks on them. When the task is complete, the tool returns to the task selection menu. Tasks completed by the student are no longer visible in the menu. Once the session has begun, there are no breaks between tasks.</li>
		<li>Test children grades 2 and&#160;3&#160;&#160;in three half hour sessions and children grades 4 to 6 in two 45-minute sessions. Hold the sessions on different days. Administer the BM-PROMA in a quiet room. Have students use a headset to listen to the instructions and to record their oral responses; the examiner also uses headphones to monitor the tasks. In some cases, the examiner must record the outcome of the task using the mouse; in others, the student uses the mouse to complete the task and responses are recorded automatically.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Demonstration and training trials.For all tasks, precede the test stage with instructions (the robot orally presents the instructions for the task), modelling (the robot models the task step by step with an example), and practice trials (children are allowed up to two practice trials with feedback).</li>
</ol>
2. Domain-specific subtests
<ol>
	<li>Missing number (Figure 1)
	<ol>
		<li>In this task, ask children to name the missing number from a series of 4 single- and two-digit numbers presented horizontally.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say the following: &#34;In this game, you have to say aloud the name of the missing number: two, four, six, eight, and (pause) ten. So, the missing number is ten. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Present a total of 18 series: 6 in numerically ascending order (the numbers in the series increase in value as a given magnitude is added to the previous number), 6 in numerically descending order (the numbers in the series decrease in value as a given magnitude is subtracted from the previous number), and 6 in numerically hierarchical ascending order (more than one arithmetic operation is needed to solve them, in this case, multiplication and addition). The examiner uses the mouse buttons to record whether the answer is correct.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based on the total number of correct responses.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Two-digit number comparison (Figure 2)
	<ol>
		<li>In this task, present 40 pairs of two-digit numbers on the computer screen.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, look carefully at these two numbers. You must choose the biggest number. To do so, you must compare the two numbers and say aloud the name of the biggest one. Look at these two numbers. Thirty-seven is bigger than twenty-one. So, I will say /thirty-seven/. Try to complete the task as quickly as possible without getting it wrong. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Require children to say aloud the numerically larger of each pair. A voice key registered the child&#39;s reaction time (RT), after which the examiner used the mouse buttons to record whether the answer was correct. 
		NOTE: Following previous studies62,63, unit-decade compatibility (compatible vs. incompatible) and decade and unit distance (small [1-3] vs. large [4-8]) were manipulated.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based on the RT of those stimuli that were solved correctly.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Reading numbers (Figure 3)
	<ol>
		<li>Present 30 Arabic numbers (10 single-digit numbers, 10 two-digit numbers, and 10 three-digit numbers) one at a time on the computer screen.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you have to name aloud the numbers that appear on the screen. Look at this number. Here you have to say /twelve/, because that is the name of the number on the screen. Try to complete the task as quickly as possible without getting it wrong. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Ask the child to read them aloud as quickly as possible without making mistakes. A voice key registered the child&#39;s RT, after which the examiner used the mouse buttons to record whether the answer was correct.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based on the RT of those stimuli that were read correctly.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Place value (Figure 4)
	<ol>
		<li>Measure the students&#39; knowledge of the Arabic number system. Display 12 two-digit Arabic numbers in the center of the computer screen, with one answer option located in each corner of the screen (four options in total). Each option was a quantity represented by tiny blocks of units and blocks of tens (ten units grouped into a single block). For each item, only one of the four options was correct. The incorrect options were made up of representations that coincided with the correct option in a) the ten; b) the unit; or c) both the ten and the unit, but reversed (e.g., for the number &#34;15&#34;, the incorrect options represented 12, 35 and 51).</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, we have a number and four pictures. You have to click on the picture that represents the number correctly. I will choose the first one, because the bar equals a ten, and the squares equal five units. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based the total number of correct responses.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Number line 0-100 and 0-1000 tasks (Figure 5) 
	NOTE: Use computerized adaptations of the paper-and-pencil original64.
	<ol>
		<li>In this task, have children position a given number on a 15-cm number line using the computer mouse. For the first 20 items, the value at the left end of the line was 0 and the value at the right end was 100. For the following 22 items, the value at the right end was 1000.</li>
		<li>Present the following items on the 0-100 line: 2, 3, 7, 11, 14, 18, 23, 37, 41, 45, 56, 60, 67, 71, 75, 86, 89, 91, 95 and 99.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you have to put the number where you think it should go. Look at this line. It starts at zero and ends at one hundred. You have to put number fifty here. To do so, click and hold on the red line under the number and drag it to the correct place. Do you know why I dropped the number here? It is in the middle, because fifty is half of one hundred. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Following the original task, oversample the numbers at the low end of the distribution, with 7 numbers between 0 and 30. The items presented for the 0-1000 line were: 2, 11, 67, 99, 106, 162, 221, 325, 388, 450, 492, 511, 591, 643, 677, 755, 799, 815, 867, 910 and 988. Values below 100 were oversampled, as in the aforementioned study.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based on the absolute value of the percentage error (|Estimate - Estimated Quantity / Scale of Estimates|).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Arithmetic fact retrieval (Figure 6)
	<ol>
		<li>Ask children to solve 66 single-digit arithmetic problems, consisting of 24 additions, 24 multiplications, and 18 subtractions presented in separate blocks. Exclude tie problems (e.g., 3+3) and problems containing 0 or 1 as operand or answer.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you have to solve the computations in your head. In the first one, the correct answer is three. Solve the task in silence and tell me the answer aloud. Try to solve the task as quickly as possible without getting it wrong. Now, try it on your own.</li>
		<li>Present problems one at a time horizontally on the computer screen. Responses were verbal. A voice key registered the child&#39;s RT, after which the examiner used the mouse buttons to record whether the answer was correct.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based on the RT of those stimuli that were solved correctly.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Arithmetic principles (Figure 7)
	<ol>
		<li>Present 24 pairs of related two-digit operations (12 pairs of additions and 12 pairs of multiplications). In each pair, one item was solved correctly and the other was unsolved (e.g., 5+5=10&#160;&#8594; 5+6=?).</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you have to say aloud the result of the second operation. Look carefully at both computations. The first one has already been solved, but the second one still needs to be solved. Five plus five equals ten, then five plus six equals eleven. When I tell you to start, solve the task in silence and then say the answer aloud. Try to solve the task as quickly as possible without getting it wrong. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Ask children to say aloud the result of the unsolved operation. A voice key registered the child&#39;s reaction time (RT), after which the examiner used the mouse buttons to record whether the answer was correct.</li>
		<li>Calculate the score based on the RT of those stimuli that were solved correctly.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Domain-general subtests
<ol>
	<li>Counting span (Figure 8) 
	NOTE: This task is an adaptation of the Working Memory-Counting task65.
	<ol>
		<li>Have the children count aloud the number of yellow dots on a series of cards with yellow and blue dots. Ask them to recall the number of yellow dots on each card in the set.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, we have some cards. Each card has blue and yellow dots. You have to count and remember the number of yellow dots on each card. First, we are going to count how many yellow dots there are on the first card. There are two yellow dots on the card. Then we will count all the yellow dots on the second card. There are eight yellow dots on the card. Now, as there were two yellow dots on the first card and eight yellow dots on the second card, you have to say aloud the numbers two and eight. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Increase set length from 2 to 5 cards and give the children three attempts to move to the next level of difficulty. The examiner uses the mouse buttons to record whether the answer is correct.</li>
		<li>End the test when a child fails to correctly recall two sets at a given difficulty level.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Rapid Automatized Naming - Letter (RAN-L) (Figure 9) 
	NOTE: This task is an adaptation of the technique called Rapid Automatized Naming66. RAN-L consists of a series of five letters presented in five rows and 10 columns on the computer screen.
	<ol>
		<li>Ask the child to name the letters as quickly as possible from left to right and from top to bottom. Provide ten practice items in a chart consisting of two rows and five columns.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you have to name the letters that appear on the screen. It does not matter if they are repeated. So, we have to say: /a/, /c/, /v/, /n/, /a/, /n/, /c/, /c/, /v/, /v/. Try to name the letters as quickly as possible from left to right and from top to bottom. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>Use the time spent to name all 50 letters as the score. To normalize the score distribution, convert the scores to the number of letters per minute.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Visuospatial working memory (Figure 10) 
	NOTE: This task is a computerized adaptation of the Corsi block-tapping task67.
	<ol>
		<li>Show a 3x3 board in the center of the screen. In each trial, sequentially flash certain blocks on and off.</li>
		<li>Ask the child to repeat the sequence in the correct order by clicking on the blocks that had changed color. In 50% of cases, ask them to do so in the same order, and in the other 50% in reverse order.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you will see that some of the squares light up. You have to remember which squares lit up and the order in which they did so. Then you have to press the squares in the same order to repeat the sequence. Now, watch carefully and press the squares in the same order&#34;.</li>
		<li>Increase the trials in length from 2 to 5 blocks. Give the children three attempts to move to the next level of difficulty.</li>
		<li>End the test when a child failed to correctly recall two sets at a given difficulty level. The examiner uses the mouse buttons to record whether the answer is correct. Calculate the scores based on the number of correct answers given.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Phoneme deletion 
	NOTE: This task included 15 two-syllable words: five with consonant-vowel (CV) first syllable structure, five with consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) first syllable structure, and five with consonant-consonant-vowel (CCV) first syllable structure.
	<ol>
		<li>Say a word to the child and have them repeat it, omitting the first sound.</li>
		<li>Have the robot say &#34;In this game, you have to remove the first sound of each word. If you hear the word /tarde/ (late), you have to remove the sound /t/. So, you will say /arde/. Now, try it on your own&#34;.</li>
		<li>The examiner uses the mouse buttons to record whether the answer is correct. Calculate the score based on the total number of correct responses.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

The authors listed above certify there are no financial interests or other conflicts of interest associated with the present study.

Children with MLD are at risk not only of academic failure but also of psycho-emotional and health disorders8,9 and, later on, of employment deprivation4,5. Thus, it is crucial to diagnose MLD promptly in order to provide the educational support that these children need. However, diagnosing MLD is complex due to the multiple domain-specific and domain-general skill deficits that underlie the disorder<sup ...

One of the crucial objectives of primary education is the acquisition of mathematical skills. This knowledge is highly relevant, as we all use mathematics in our everyday lives, for example, to calculate change given at the supermarket1,2. As such, the consequences of poor mathematical performance go beyond the academic. At the social level, a strong prevalence of poor mathematical performance within the population constitutes a cost to society. There is evidence that improvement of poor numerical skills in the population leads to significant savings for a country3. There are also negative consequences at an individual level. For example, those who show a low level of mathematical skills present poor professional development (e.g., higher rates of employment in poorly paid manual occupations and higher unemployment)4,5,6, frequently report negative socio-emotional responses towards academics (e.g., anxiety, low motivation towards academics)7, 8, and tend to present poorer mental and physical health than their peers with average mathematical achievement9. Students with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD) show very poor performance that persists over time10,11,12. As such, they are more likely to suffer the consequences mentioned above, especially if these are not promptly diagnosed13.
MLD is a neurobiological disorder characterized by severe impairment in terms of learning basic numerical skills despite adequate intellectual capacity and schooling14. Although this definition is widely accepted, the instruments and criteria for its identification are still under discussion15. An excellent illustration of the absence of a universal agreement regarding MLD diagnosis is the variety of reported prevalence rates, ranging from 3 to 10%16,17,18,19,20,21. This difficulty in diagnosis stems from the complexity of mathematical knowledge, which requires that a combination of multiple domain-general and domain-specific skills be learned22,23. Children with MLD show very different cognitive profiles, with a broad constellation of deficits14, 24,25,26,27. In this regard, it is suggested that the need for multidimensional assessment by means of tasks involving different numerical representations (i.e., verbal, Arabic, analogic) and arithmetical skills11.
In primary school, symptoms of MLD are diverse. In terms of domain-specific skills, it is consistently found that many MLD students show difficulties in basic numerical skills, such as quickly and accurately recognizing Arabic numerals28,29,30, comparing magnitudes31,32, or representing numbers on the number line33,34. Primary school children have also shown difficulty in understanding conceptual knowledge, such as place value35, arithmetic knowledge36, or ordinality measured through ordered sequences37. Regarding domain-general skills, particular focus has been put on the role of working memory38,39 and language40 in the development of mathematical skills in children with and without MLD. In relation to working memory, the results suggest that students with MLD show a deficit in the central executive, especially when required to manipulate numerical information41,42. A deficit in visuospatial short-term memory has also been frequently reported in children with MLD43,44. Language skills have been found to be a prerequisite for learning numeracy skills, especially those that involve high verbal processing demand7. For example, phonological processing skills [e.g., phonological awareness and Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN)] are closely linked to those basic skills learned in primary school, such as numerical processing or arithmetic calculation39,45,46,47. Here, it has been demonstrated that variations in phonological awareness and RAN are associated with individual differences in numeracy skills that involve managing verbal code42,48. In light of the complex profile of children with MLD, a diagnostic tool should ideally include tasks that assess both domain-general and domain-specific skills, which are reported as being more frequently deficient in these children.
In recent years, several paper-and-pencil screening tools for MLD have been developed. Those most commonly used with Spanish primary school children are a) Evamat-Bater&#237;a para la Evaluaci&#243;n de la Competencia Matem&#225;tica (Battery for the Evaluation of Mathematical Competency)49; b) Tedi-Math: A Test for Diagnostic Assessment of Mathematical Disabilities (Spanish adaptation)50; c) Test de Evaluaci&#243;n Matem&#225;tica Temprana de Utrecht (TEMT-U)51,52, the Spanish version of the Utrecht Early Numeracy Test53; and d) Test of early math abilities (TEMA-3)54. These instruments measure many of the domain-specific skills mentioned above; however, none of them assess domain-general skills. Another limitation of these instruments - and of paper-and-pencil tools in general - is that they cannot provide information regarding the accuracy and automaticity with which each item is processed. This would only be possible with a computerized battery. However, very few applications have been developed for dyscalculia diagnosis. The first computerized tool designed to identify children (aged 6 to 14) with MLD was the Dyscalculia Screener55. A few years later, the web-based DyscalculiUm56 was developed with the same purpose but focused on adults and learners in post-16 education. Although still limited, there has been growing interest in computerized tool design for the diagnosis of MLD in recent years57,58,59,60. None of the tools mentioned have been standardized for Spanish children, and only one of them - the MathPro Test57- includes domain-general skill evaluation. Given the importance of identifying children with low mathematical achievement, especially those with MLD, and in the absence of computerized instruments for the Spanish population, we present a multimedia evaluation protocol that includes both domain-general and domain-specific skills.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Maths</td>
			<td>Universidad de La Laguna</td>
			<td>Pending assignment</td>
			<td>BM-PROMA</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

multimedia battery for assessment of cognitive and basic skills in mathematics (bm-proma)

Learning mathematics is a complex process that requires the development of multiple domain-general and domain-specific skills. It is therefore not unexpected that many children struggle to stay at grade level, and this becomes especially difficult when several abilities from both domains are impaired, as in the case of mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). Surprisingly, although MLD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting schoolchildren, most of the diagnostic instruments available do not include assessment of domain-general and domain-specific skills. Furthermore, very few are computerized. To the best of our knowledge, there is no tool with these features for Spanish-speaking children. The purpose of this study was to describe the protocol for the diagnosis of Spanish MLD children using the BM-PROMA multimedia battery. BM-PROMA facilitates the evaluation of both skill domains, and the 12&#160;tasks included for this purpose are empirically evidence-based. The strong internal consistency of BM-PROMA and its multidimensional internal structure are demonstrated. BM-PROMA proves to be an appropriate tool for diagnosing children with MLD during primary education. It provides a broad cognitive profile for the child, which will be relevant not only for diagnosis but also for individualized instructional planning.

In order to test the utility and effectiveness of this diagnostic tool, its psychometric properties were analyzed in a large-scale sample. A total of 933 Spanish primary school students (boys = 508, girls = 425; Mage = 10 years, SD = 1.36) from grade 2 to grade 6 (grade 2, N = 169 [89 boys]; grade 3, N = 170 [89 boys]; grade 4, N = 187 [106 boys]; grade 5, N = 203 [113 boys]; grade 6, N= 204 [110 boys]) participated in the study. The children were ...

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Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics BM-PROMA

BM-PROMA is a valid and reliable multimedia diagnostic tool that can provide a complete cognitive profile of children with mathematical learning disabilities.

Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)

Learning mathematics is a complex process that requires the development of multiple domain-general and domain-specific skills. It is therefore not ...

multimedia-battery-for-assessment-cognitive-basic-skills-mathematics

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

4.4K Views.  Universidad de La Laguna. BM-PROMA is a valid and reliable multimedia diagnostic tool that can provide a complete cognitive profile of children with mathematical learning disabilities. 

Video: Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics BM-PROMA

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

The main goal of this study was to assess the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on cognitive functions across the lifespan in a sample of 378 healthy subjects (age range 18-89 years). Consistent with previous findings we found an age-related cognitive decline across a wide range of neuropsychological domains (memory, attention, executive functions), thereby proving the usability of our tablet-based application. Regardless of prior computer experience, subjects of all age groups were able to perform the tasks without instruction or feedback from an experimenter. Increased motivation and compliance proved to be beneficial for task performance, thereby potentially increasing the validity of the results. Our promising findings underline the great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.

We tested the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on cognition. Results show an age-related cognitive decline, thereby proving the usability of our application. Findings underline the great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.

The main goal of this study was to assess the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on ...

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction

We describe a high-throughput, high-volume, fully automated, live-in 24/7 behavioral testing system for assessing the effects of genetic and pharmacological manipulations on basic mechanisms of cognition and learning in mice. A standard polypropylene mouse housing tub is connected through an acrylic tube to a standard commercial mouse test box. The test box has 3 hoppers, 2 of which are connected to pellet feeders. All are internally illuminable with an LED and monitored for head entries by infrared (IR) beams. Mice live in the environment, which eliminates handling during screening. They obtain their food during two or more daily feeding periods by performing in operant (instrumental) and Pavlovian (classical) protocols, for which we have written protocol-control software and quasi-real-time data analysis and graphing software. The data analysis and graphing routines are written in a MATLAB-based language created to simplify greatly the analysis of large time-stamped behavioral and physiological event records and to preserve a full data trail from raw data through all intermediate analyses to the published graphs and statistics within a single data structure. The data-analysis code harvests the data several times a day and subjects it to statistical and graphical analyses, which are automatically stored in the &#34;cloud&#34; and on in-lab computers. Thus, the progress of individual mice is visualized and quantified daily. The data-analysis code talks to the protocol-control code, permitting the automated advance from protocol to protocol of individual subjects. The behavioral protocols implemented are matching, autoshaping, timed hopper-switching, risk assessment in timed hopper-switching, impulsivity measurement, and the circadian anticipation of food availability. Open-source protocol-control and data-analysis code makes the addition of new protocols simple. Eight test environments fit in a 48 in x 24 in x 78 in&#160;cabinet; two such cabinets (16 environments) may be controlled by one computer.

Fully automated system for measuring physiologically meaningful properties of the mechanisms mediating spatial localization, temporal localization, duration, rate&#160;and probability estimation, risk assessment, impulsivity, and the accuracy and precision of memory, in order to assess the effects of genetic and pharmacological manipulations on foundational mechanisms of cognition in mice.

We describe a high-throughput, high-volume, fully automated, live-in 24/7 behavioral testing system for assessing the effects of genetic and ...

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Cognitive impairments affect the majority of patients with schizophrenia and these impairments predict poor long term psychosocial outcomes.&#160; Treatment studies aimed at cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia not only require demonstration of improvements on cognitive tests, but also evidence that any cognitive changes lead to clinically meaningful improvements.&#160; Measures of &#8220;functional capacity&#8221; index the extent to which individuals have the potential to perform skills required for real world functioning. &#160;Current data do not support the recommendation of any single instrument for measurement of functional capacity.&#160; The Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) is a novel, interactive gaming based measure of functional capacity that uses a realistic simulated environment to recreate routine activities of daily living. Studies are currently underway to evaluate and establish the VRFCAT&#8217;s sensitivity, reliability, validity, and practicality.&#160;This new measure of functional capacity is practical, relevant, easy to use, and has several features that improve validity and sensitivity of measurement of function in clinical trials of patients with CNS disorders.

A challenge for proving treatment efficacy for cognitive impairments in schizophrenia is finding the optimizing measurement of skills related to everyday functioning.&#160; The Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) is an interactive gaming based computerized measure aimed at skills associated with everyday functioning, including baseline impairments and treatment related changes.

Cognitive impairments affect the majority of patients with schizophrenia and these impairments predict poor long term psychosocial outcomes.&#160; ...

Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment

This paper describes an approach for measuring navigation accuracy relative to cognitive skills. The methodology behind the assessment will thus be clearly outlined in a step-by-step manner. Navigational skills are important when trying to find symbols within a speech-generating device (SGD) that has a dynamic screen and taxonomical organization. The following skills have been found to impact children&#8217;s ability to find symbols when navigating within the levels of an SGD: sustained attention, categorization, cognitive flexibility, and fluid reasoning1,2. According to past studies, working memory was not correlated with navigation1,2.
The materials needed for this method include a computerized tablet, an augmentative and alternative communication application, a booklet of symbols, and the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R)3. This method has been used in two previous studies. Robillard, Mayer-Crittenden, Roy-Charland, Minor-Corriveau and B&#233;langer1 assessed typically developing children, while Rondeau, Robillard and Roy-Charland2 assessed children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The direct observation of this method will facilitate the replication of this study for researchers. It will also help clinicians that work with children who have complex communication needs to determine the children&#8217;s ability to navigate an SGD with taxonomical categorization.

Children who have complex communication needs can benefit from the use of a speech-generating device (SGD). Cognitive skills were identified as having an impact on the ability to navigate between levels of SGDs. This protocol describes the steps needed for Speech-language Pathologists to assess cognitive skills and navigational abilities.

This paper describes an approach for measuring navigation accuracy relative to cognitive skills. The methodology behind the assessment will thus be ...

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Fagot &#38; Paleressompoulle1 and Fagot &#38; Bonte2 have published an automated learning device (ALDM) for the study of cognitive abilities of monkeys maintained in semi-free ranging conditions. Data accumulated during the last five years have consistently demonstrated the efficiency of this protocol to investigate individual/physical cognition in monkeys, and have further shown that this procedure reduces stress level during animal testing3. This paper demonstrates that networks of ALDM can also be used to investigate different facets of social cognition and in-group expressed behaviors in monkeys, and describes three illustrative protocols developed for that purpose. The first study demonstrates how ethological assessments of social behavior and computerized assessments of cognitive performance could be integrated to investigate the effects of socially exhibited moods on the cognitive performance of individuals. The second study shows that batteries of ALDM running in parallel can provide unique information on the influence of the presence of others on task performance. Finally, the last study shows that networks of ALDM test units can also be used to study issues related to social transmission and cultural evolution. Combined together, these three studies demonstrate clearly that ALDM testing is a highly promising experimental tool for bridging the gap in the animal literature between research on individual cognition and research on social cognition.

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device ALDM Test Systems

Fagot &#38; Paleressompoulle1 have published an automated learning device (ALDM) aimed at testing individual cognitive abilities in semi-free ranging monkeys. The main goal of our protocol is to use a network of ALDM test units to study social cognition in non-human primates.

Fagot &#38; Paleressompoulle1 and Fagot &#38; Bonte2 have published an automated learning device (ALDM) for the study of cognitive abilities of monkeys ...

Combined Invasive Subcortical and Non-invasive Surface Neurophysiological Recordings for the Assessment of Cognitive and Emotional Functions in Humans

In spite of the success in applying non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG), magneto-encephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for extracting crucial information about the mechanism of the human brain, such methods remain insufficient to provide information about physiological processes reflecting cognitive and emotional functions at the subcortical level. In this respect, modern invasive clinical approaches in humans, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), offer a tremendous possibility to record subcortical brain activity, namely local field potentials (LFPs) representing coherent activity of neural assemblies from localized basal ganglia or thalamic regions. Notwithstanding the fact that invasive approaches in humans are applied only after medical indication and thus recorded data correspond to altered brain circuits, valuable insight can be gained regarding the presence of intact brain functions in relation to brain oscillatory activity and the pathophysiology of disorders in response to experimental cognitive paradigms. In this direction, a growing number of DBS studies in patients with Parkinson&#39;s disease (PD) target not only motor functions but also higher level processes such as emotions, decision-making, attention, memory and sensory perception. Recent clinical trials also emphasize the role of DBS as an alternative treatment in neuropsychiatric disorders ranging from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) to chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC). Consequently, we focus on the use of combined invasive (LFP) and non-invasive (EEG) human brain recordings in assessing the role of cortical-subcortical structures in cognitive and emotional processing trough experimental paradigms (e.g. speech stimuli with emotional connotation or paradigms of cognitive control such as the Flanker task), for patients undergoing DBS treatment.

The present protocol aims at assessing cognitive-emotional functions in the basal ganglia by simultaneous neurophysiological recording of local field potentials and non-invasive brain cortical activity (EEG). The procedure is exemplified by the use of paradigms involving speech stimuli with emotional connotation or the Flanker task involving cognitive control.

In spite of the success in applying non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG), magneto-encephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging ...

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome

Several neuroimaging studies have suggested that the low spatial frequency content in an emotional face mainly activates the amygdala, pulvinar, and superior colliculus especially with fearful faces1-3. These regions constitute the limbic structure in non-conscious perception of emotions and modulate cortical activity either directly or indirectly2. In contrast, the conscious representation of emotions is more pronounced in the anterior cingulate, prefrontal cortex, and somatosensory cortex for directing voluntary attention to details in faces3,4. Asperger&#39;s syndrome (AS)5,6 represents an atypical mental disturbance that affects sensory, affective and communicative abilities, without interfering with normal linguistic skills and intellectual ability. Several studies have found that functional deficits in the neural circuitry important for facial emotion recognition can partly explain social communication failure in patients with AS7-9. In order to clarify the interplay between conscious and non-conscious representations of emotional faces in AS, an EEG experimental protocol is designed with two tasks involving emotionality evaluation of either photograph or line-drawing faces. A pilot study is introduced for selecting face stimuli that minimize the differences in reaction times and scores assigned to facial emotions between the pretested patients with AS and IQ/gender-matched healthy controls. Information from the pretested patients was used to develop the scoring system used for the emotionality evaluation. Research into facial emotions and visual stimuli with different spatial frequency contents has reached discrepant findings depending on the demographic characteristics of participants and task demands2. The experimental protocol is intended to clarify deficits in patients with AS in processing emotional faces when compared with healthy controls by controlling for factors unrelated to recognition of facial emotions, such as task difficulty, IQ and gender.

An EEG experimental protocol is designed to clarify the interplay between conscious and non-conscious representations of emotional faces in patients with Asperger&#39;s syndrome. The technique suggests that patients with Asperger&#39;s syndrome have deficits in non-conscious representation of emotional faces, but have comparable performance in conscious representation with healthy controls.

Several neuroimaging studies have suggested that the low spatial frequency content in an emotional face mainly activates the amygdala, pulvinar, and ...

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children &#8211; Working Memory (CABC-WM)

The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children - Working Memory (CABC-WM) is a computer-based battery designed to assess different components of working memory in young school-age children. Working memory deficits have been identified in children with language-based learning disabilities, including dyslexia1,2 and language impairment3,4, but it is not clear whether these children exhibit deficits in subcomponents of working memory, such as visuospatial or phonological working memory. The CABC-WM is administered on a desktop computer with a touchscreen interface and was specifically developed to be engaging and motivating for children. Although the long-term goal of the CABC-WM is to provide individualized working memory profiles in children, the present study focuses on the initial success and utility of the CABC-WM for measuring central executive, visuospatial, phonological loop, and binding constructs in children with typical development. Immediate next steps are to administer the CABC-WM to children with specific language impairment, dyslexia, and comorbid specific language impairment and dyslexia.

Working memory predicts a significant amount of variance for a variety of cognitive tasks, including speaking, reading, and writing. However, few tools are available to assess working memory in children. We present an innovative, computer-based battery that comprehensively assesses different components of working memory in school-age children.

The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children - Working Memory (CABC-WM) is a computer-based battery designed to assess different components of ...

Battery of Behavioral Tests Assessing General Locomotion, Muscular Strength, and Coordination in Mice

Behavioral testing is used in pre-clinical trials to assess the phenotypic effects and outcomes that a particular disease or treatment has on the animal&#39;s wellbeing and health. There are numerous behavioral tests that may be applied. We selected a test for general locomotion, the open field test (OFT); a test for muscular strength, the mesh test (MT); and a test for coordination, the rotarod test (RR). Testing can be accomplished on a weekly or monthly basis. As a test for general locomotion, the OFT works by objectively monitoring movement parameters while the mouse is in an open field apparatus. The field is generally a 2&#39; x 2&#39; box, and the movements are recorded through laser sensing or through video capture. The mouse is placed in the center of the open field and allowed to move freely for the test. The MT uses the latency for a mouse to fall off an inverted screen as a measure of muscular strength. A mouse is placed on a screen, which is inverted over a clear box, and is timed for their latency to fall. Three trials are performed, with the best of the three trials scored for that day. A score of 60 s is the maximum time a mouse is left inverted. Mice are given a 5-min rest period between mesh test trials. Lastly, an accelerated protocol on the RR assesses motor coordination and endurance. During a trial, a mouse walks on a rotating rod as it increases in speed from 4 rpm to 40 rpm over 5 min. The trial ends when the mouse touches the magnetized pressure sensor upon falling. Each mouse undergoes three trials, and the best trial is scored for that day. This combined behavioral data allows for the global assessment of mobility, coordination, strength, and movement of the test animals. At least two out of the three behavioral testing measures must show improvement for an animal to qualify as having overall improved motor function.

Behavioral testing is used in pre-clinical trials to assess the phenotypic effects of a disease or treatment on an animal's wellbeing. In order to globally assess motor functioning, we selected tests for general locomotion, muscular strength, and coordination: the open field test, the mesh test, and the rotarod test, respectively.

Behavioral testing is used in pre-clinical trials to assess the phenotypic effects and outcomes that a particular disease or treatment has on the ...

A Behavioral Test Battery for the Repeated Assessment of Motor Skills, Mood, and Cognition in Mice

Pharmacological and toxicological studies in neurodegeneration require comprehensive behavioral analysis in mice because motor dysfunctions and dysfunctions in mood and cognition are common and often shared symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases. Shown here is a behavioral test battery for motor, mood, and cognition, which can be repeatedly tested in a longitudinal study. This battery assesses the overall behavioral phenotype in mice by examining each domain of behavior with at least two independent well-accepted tests (i.e., open-field test and rotarod test for motor function, social interaction test, elevated plus maze test, and forced swim test for emotional function, and Morris water maze test and novel object recognition test for cognitive function). Therefore, this sensitive and comprehensive test battery is a powerful tool for the study of behavioral alternation in neurodegeneration.

A comprehensive behavioral test battery of motor skills, mood&#8212;including social interaction, depression, and anxiety&#8212;and cognition is designed for the repeated assessment of neurodegeneration-related behavioral changes in mice.