Cog-LAB: development of cognitive tool for neurological patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pre-clinical development of Cog - LAB a computerised cognitive assessment tool for use with neurological patients (cognitive refers to thinking, memory, perception, planning etc).
IRAS ID
241054
Contact name
Lynne Barker
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
STH20123, Sheffield Clinical Research Office; 0166, RDASH Grounded Research
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 21 days
Research summary
Brain injury and stroke are critical global public health problems and acquired brain injury (ABI) is the primary cause of death of youth. 2013-14 figures showed 350, 000 hospital admissions for acquired brain injury, 1 every 90 seconds, a 10% increase since 2005 in the UK (1.7 million in the USA). Around 850, 000 people in UK have some form of mild or early cognitive impairment or dementia. Market analysts have established that there is a global and growing need for reliable cognitive assessment tools that are speedy and cost-effective.
Brain injury and disease processes impair cognition: deficits to executive functions (EF’s = planning, dual-tasking, time estimation, prospective memory) are common and associated with poor outcome. Intractable cognitive deficits equal lasting disability, poor quality of life and lifelong care. Current assessment tests are expensive and evaluation is clinically and patient time-costly. We have drawn on our clinical experience, comprehensive knowledge of conventional tests, years of patient testing, to devise a single computerized task measuring memory and EF’s by simulating real world activity. In real life, complex tasks such as cooking are often significantly affected when a person sustains a brain injury or early on in the course of a neurodegenerative disorder because they require the co-ordination of multiple cognitive functions. Our proof of concept data showed that our task is reliably capturing these target functions commonly worsened by brain trauma http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00022/full
Our task is unique in that it measures multiple cognitive functions in one task at one assessment point. In the present study we have worked with external programmers to build the new app and we aim to collect pilot data with a neurological cohort to test the psychometric properties of the new Cog-LAB prototype before clinical trials proper.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
18/WS/0212
Date of REC Opinion
21 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion