Robot Programming and Tangible Interfaces for Cognitive Training

2015 ◽  
pp. 196-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stavros Demetriadis ◽  
Vaitsa Giannouli ◽  
Theodosios Sapounidis
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Mental Condition ◽  
Robot Programming ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Tangible Interface ◽  
Visuospatial Skills ◽  
Beneficial Impact

This chapter presents the conceptual framework, the research rationale and preliminary outcomes of an innovative research agenda that explores the use of tangible interface and robot programming tasks as a method for providing cognitive training to patients with memory dysfunctions. The main argument of this approach is that when programming tasks and relevant tangible systems are used for cognitive training they activate and practice users' logical-analytical and visuospatial skills, which may have beneficial impact on patients' cognitive performance in daily activities. The chapter also presents preliminary outcomes from a pilot study where eleven patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment participated in a robot programming training session using the PROTEAS prototype tangible interface. Results (both qualitative and quantitative) revealed a significant negative correlation between patients' “Task Completion Time” (TCT) and mental condition (as measured by MMSE index), indicating that TCT provides a measure directly related to patients' cognitive capacity for analysis and planning.

scholarly journals Strategy mediation in working memory training in younger and older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1206-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Forsberg ◽  
Daniel Fellman ◽  
Matti Laine ◽  
Wendy Johnson ◽  
Robert H Logie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Training Strategy ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Post Test

Working memory (WM) training with the N-Back task has been argued to improve cognitive capacity and general cognitive abilities (the Capacity Hypothesis of training), although several studies have shown little or no evidence for such improvements beyond tasks that are very similar to the trained task. Laine et al. demonstrated that instructing young adult participants to use a specific visualisation strategy for N-back training resulted in clear, generalised benefits from only 30 min of training (Strategy Mediation Hypothesis of training). Here, we report a systematic replication and extension of the Laine et al. study, by administering 60 younger and 60 older participants a set of WM tasks before and after a 30-min N-back training session. Half the participants were instructed to use a visualisation strategy, the others received no instruction. The pre-post test battery encompassed a criterion task (digit N-back), two untrained tasks N-back tasks (letters and colours), and three structurally different WM tasks. The instructed visualisation strategy significantly boosted at least some measures of N-back performance in participants of both age groups, although the strategy generally appeared more difficult to implement and less beneficial for older adults. However, the strategy did not improve performance on structurally different WM tasks. We also found significant associations between N-back performance and the type and level of detail of self-generated strategies in the uninstructed participants, as well as age group differences in reported strategy types. WM performance appeared to partly reflect the application of strategies, and Strategy Mediation should be considered to understand the mechanisms of WM training. Claims of efficient training should demonstrate useful improvement beyond task-specific strategies.

scholarly journals Motion sickness and sense of presence in a virtual reality environment developed for manual wheelchair users, with three different approaches

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255898
Author(s):  
Zohreh Salimi ◽  
Martin William Ferguson-Pell
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Motion Sickness ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Central Motion ◽  
Induced Motion ◽  
Virtual Presence ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

Visually Induced Motion Sickness (VIMS) is a bothersome and sometimes unsafe experience, frequently experienced in Virtual Reality (VR) environments. In this study, the effect of up to four training sessions to decrease VIMS in the VR environment to a minimal level was tested and verified through explicit declarations of all 14 healthy participants that were recruited in this study. Additionally, the Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire (MSAQ) was used at the end of each training session to measure responses to different aspects of VIMS. Total, gastrointestinal, and central motion sickness were shown to decrease significantly by the last training session, compared to the first one. After acclimatizing to motion sickness, participants’ sense of presence and the level of their motion sickness in the VR environment were assessed while actuating three novel and sophisticated VR systems. They performed up to four trials of the Illinois agility test in the VR systems and the real world, then completed MSAQ and Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) at the end of each session. Following acclimatization, the three VR systems generated relatively little motion sickness and high virtual presence scores, with no statistically meaningful difference among them for either MSAQ or IPQ. Also, it was shown that presence has a significant negative correlation with VIMS.

scholarly journals Assessing the level of well-being in individuals practicing sport

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
Magdalena Pieniążek ◽  
Grzegorz Mańko ◽  
Angelika Sosulska ◽  
Jarosław Jaszczur-Nowicki ◽  
Irina Lozinska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Mental Condition ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Study Results

Background and aim: There is an increasing body of evidence that physical exercise may have a positive effect on people’s mental condition and well-being. Numerous study results indicate that physical activity helps in the treatment of depression and anxiety. This allows for a conclusion that sport – to a great extent – influences not only people’s physical aspects, but also their psyche. Sedentary lifestyle, time pressure and stress that accompanies people at an increasingly younger age contribute both to higher incidence of numerous civilisation diseases and to problems with mental health. The purpose of the study was to verify whether individuals practicing sports manifest better well-being than non-training individuals. Methods: A general interview was conducted with 80 students (40 individuals practicing sports and 40 individuals not practicing sports at all), whereupon they were requested to complete the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale questionnaire. Results: The individuals practicing sport exhibit greater well-being than the subjects from the control group. It was also demonstrated that the males in the study group exhibit greater wellbeing than the females from the same group However, no findings were made that longer duration of a single training session, its frequency or the time when a given person started practicing sport had any influence on his/her well-being. Conclusions: Practicing sports has a positive influence on people’s well-being. Physical activity should be promoted from as early an age as possible to minimise the risk of numerous diseases in the future, including those affecting mental health.

scholarly journals Cognitive training for robotic surgery: a chance to optimize surgical training? A pilot study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Schönburg ◽  
Petra Anheuser ◽  
Jennifer Kranz ◽  
Paolo Fornara ◽  
Viktor Oubaid
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Training Simulator ◽  
Neo Personality Inventory ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

AbstractThe rapid rise of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) has necessitated an efficient and standardized training curriculum. Cognitive training (CT) can significantly improve skills, such as attention, working memory and problem solving, and can enhance surgical capacity and support RAS training. This pilot study was carried out between 02/2019 and 04/2019. The participants included 33 student volunteers, randomized into 3 groups: group 1 received training using the da Vinci training simulator, group 2 received computer-based cognitive training, and group 3 was the control group without training. Before (T1) and after-training (T2), performance was measured. Additionally, expert ratings and self-evaluations were collected. Subjective evaluations of performance were supplemented by evaluations based on three scales from the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). In total, 25 probands remained with complete data for further analyses: n = 8 (group 1), n = 7 (group 2) and n = 10 (group 3). There were no significant differences in T1 and T2 among all three groups. The average training gain of group 1 and 2 was 15.87% and 24.6%, respectively, (a restricting condition is the loss of the last training session in group 2). Analyses of semi-structured psychological interviews (SPIs) revealed no significant differences for T1, but in T2, significance occurred at ‘self-reflection’ for group 2 (F(2.22) = 8.56; p < .005). The efficacy of CT in training highly complex and difficult procedures, such as RAS, is a proven and accepted fact. Further investigation involving higher numbers of training trials (while also being cost effective) should be performed.

scholarly journals Effects of a Mindfulness Meditation App on Subjective Well-Being: Active Randomized Controlled Trial and Experience Sampling Study

10.2196/10844 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e10844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Marie Walsh ◽  
Bechara J Saab ◽  
Norman AS Farb
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Group Interventions ◽  
Training Effects

Background Mindfulness training (MT) includes a variety of contemplative practices aimed at promoting intentional awareness of experience, coupled with attitudes of nonjudgment and curiosity. Following the success of 8-week, manualized group interventions, MT has been implemented in a variety of modalities, including smartphone apps that seek to replicate the success of group interventions. However, although smartphone apps are scalable and accessible to a wider swath of population, their benefits remain largely untested. Objective This study aimed to investigate a newly developed MT app called Wildflowers, which was codeveloped with the laboratory for use in mindfulness research. It was hypothesized that 3 weeks of MT through this app would improve subjective well-being, attentional control, and interoceptive integration, albeit with weaker effects than those published in the 8 week, manualized group intervention literature. Methods Undergraduate students completed 3 weeks of MT with Wildflowers (n=45) or 3 weeks of cognitive training with a game called 2048 (n=41). State training effects were assessed through pre- and postsession ratings of current mood, stress level, and heart rate. Trait training effects were assessed through pre- and postintervention questionnaires canvassing subjective well-being and behavioral task measures of attentional control and interoceptive integration. State and trait training data were analyzed in a multilevel model using emergent latent factors (acceptance, awareness, and openness) to summarize the trait questionnaire battery. Results Analyses revealed both state and trait effects specific to MT; participants engaging in MT demonstrated improved mood (r=.14) and a reduction of stress (r=−.13) immediately after each training session compared with before the training session and decreased postsession stress over 3 weeks (r=−.08). In addition, MT relative to cognitive training resulted in greater improvements in attentional control (r=−.24). Interestingly, both groups demonstrated increased subjective ratings of awareness (r=.28) and acceptance (r=.23) from pre- to postintervention, with greater changes in acceptance for the MT group trending (r=.21). Conclusions MT, using a smartphone app, may provide immediate effects on mood and stress while also providing long-term benefits for attentional control. Although further investigation is warranted, there is evidence that with continued usage, MT via a smartphone app may provide long-term benefits in changing how one relates to their inner and outer experiences. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03783793; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03783793 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/75EF2ehst)

scholarly journals Feasibility of using touch screen technology for early cognitive assessment in children

2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 853-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre M Twomey ◽  
Conal Wrigley ◽  
Caroline Ahearne ◽  
Raegan Murphy ◽  
Michelle De Haan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Touch Screen ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Age Related

ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of using a touch screen assessment tool to measure cognitive capacity in toddlers.Design112 typically developing children with a median age of 31 months (IQR: 26–34) interacted with a touch screen cognitive assessment tool. We examined the sensitivity of the tool to age-related changes in cognition by comparing the number of items completed, speed of task completion and accuracy in two age groups; 24–29 months versus 30–36 months.ResultsChildren aged 30–36 months completed more tasks (median: 18, IQR: 18–18) than those aged 24–29 months (median: 17, IQR: 15–18). Older children also completed two of the three working memory tasks and an object permanence task faster than their younger peers. Children became faster at completing the working memory items with each exposure and registered similar completion times on the hidden object retrieval items, despite task demands being twofold on the second exposure. A novel item required children to integrate what they had learnt on preceding items. The older group was more likely to complete this item and to do so faster than the younger group.ConclusionsChildren as young as 24 months can complete items requiring cognitive engagement on a touch screen device, with no verbal instruction and minimal child–administrator interaction. This paves the way for using touch screen technology for language and administrator independent developmental assessment in toddlers.

Acceptance and Usage of an Online-based Cognitive Group Training for Older Adults

i-com ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marten Haesner ◽  
Anika Steinert ◽  
Julie O’Sullivan ◽  
Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Group Training ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Functional Capabilities ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAge-related decline in cognitive capacity can lead to functional restriction in everyday life. Therefore, interventions that aim to maintain and facilitate the individual cognitive capacity are becoming increasingly important. Computer-based cognitive learning is a promising approach to combat age-related loss of functional capabilities. The publicly funded project LeVer was developed especially for older adults and consisted of an online virtual cognitive training platform that enabled older adults to train on their own and in groups. Apart from investigating how older adults interacted with the platform, acceptance towards computer-based group training and audio-video communication was also analyzed. During the 20 to 30 minutes long sessions of the group training, learning units that included memory strategies as well as everyday exercises to intensify those strategies were taught. The group training was divided into four modules. The content of each session was structured using evidence-based cognitive training methods and manuals. Of the 40 older adults who used the individual online cognitive training (IOCT), half of the participants (11♀, 9♂) took part in all of the four sessions of group training. 14 participants (9♀, 5♂) aged 62–77 years (

Periodic Kinesthetic Guidance Cannot Expedite Learning Surgical Skills

2020 ◽  
pp. 155335062096785
Author(s):  
Fangshi Lu ◽  
Betty Wang ◽  
Paola Sanchez ◽  
Ahmad I. Kathrada ◽  
Mahdi Tavakoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laparoscopic Surgery ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Feedback Group ◽  
Learning Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Self Learning

Introduction. Connecting multiple haptic devices in a master-slave fashion enables us to deliver kinesthetic (haptic) feedback from 1 person to another. This study examined whether inter-user feedback delivered from an expert to a novice would facilitate skill acquisition of the novice in learning laparoscopic surgery and expedite it compared to traditional methods. Methods. We recruited fourteen novices and divided them into 1 of 2 training groups with 6 half-hour training sessions. The task was precision cutting adopted from one of the tasks listed in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery using laparoscopic instruments. In the haptic feedback group (haptic), 8 subjects had the chance to passively feel an expert’s performance before they started to practice in each training session. In the self-learning group (control), 6 subjects watched a video before practicing. Each session was video recorded, and task performance was measured by task completion time, number of grasper adjustments, and instrument crossings. Cutting accuracy, defined as the percentage of deviation of the cutting line from the predefined line, was analyzed via computer analysis. Results. Results show no significant difference among performance measures between the 2 groups. Participants performed similarly when practicing alone or with periodic haptic feedback. Discussion. Further research will be needed for improving our way of integrating between-person haptic feedback with skills training protocol.

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