Telerehabilitation Alzheimer's Disease Usability (TADU)
Condition: Alzheimer Disease; Healthy Aging
MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Usability evaluation of BrightGo cognitive telerehabilitation system. An experimental system
      was developed to enhance standard of care (medication effect) for Early Alzheimer's Disease
      populations. This computerized system will be undergo a usability evaluation by healthy and
      by elderly participants who are in the early phase of Alzheimer's Disease. Sessions will and
      with participants filling subjective evaluation questionnaires as well as the USE
      standardized form. Results will be used to address any uncovered issues before a follow on
      Pilot RCT Feasibility study. Participants will receive $25 after each evaluation session.
    

Detailed description: 
      Study will start with 2 elderly healthy volunteers (one male and one female) with preference
      to those with no computer game experience. The healthy volunteers will each perform usability
      sessions (2 times per week) in the first 2 weeks. They will be instructed to move the arms,
      grasp and extend fingers, so to mimic the assumed functionality during subsequent feasibility
      component.

      The usability subjects will test the game controller movement, the caregiver tablet
      interface, and test all therapeutic games. Each of the games will be tested at all levels of
      difficulty, so to detect any previously unknown bugs. They will further test system wireless
      communication and real-time graphics response to controller input (minimal lag and lack of
      freezing, smooth avatar control). Finally, they will test the set motor and cognitive
      baseline procedures, meant to adapt games to participant. Specifically, this research team
      has developed a relaxing scene to be shown to participants while their biosensors are
      measured. This will help interpret any changes occurring subsequently, during therapeutic
      game interactions so to get an indication of engagement, or lack of, with the game tasks.

      At the end of each session, volunteers will fill in the USE standardized usability
      questionnaire [Lund 2001]. This questionnaire will rate the usefulness, ease of use, ease of
      learning, and satisfaction with the BrightGo system. The USE form will solicit comments on
      games instructions, ergonomic issues with the new hand controllers, and degree of assistance
      needed. Sessions will be inter-spaced with days when the programmer, engineer and our
      Research Therapist will address issues uncovered in the previous session(s).

      The usability evaluation process will be repeated in the subsequent 2 weeks with two
      participants in the early phase of Alzheimer's disease. Their performance will be compared
      with that of the elderly healthy volunteers, so to better gauge the usability of the BrightGo
      system for the targeted population. The Usability study will inform necessary BrightGo system
      improvements prior to feasibility study. Participants with early phase of Alzheimer's disease
      will not test the caregiver tablet. Usability participants will be paid $25/session.
    

Intervention name(s): Usability evaluation of BrightGo computerized device for cognitive therapy of individuals with early Alzheimer's Disease
Intervention type(s): Device
Intervention description(s): 4 participants with undergo 4 usability evaluations each, inter-spaced by days when researchers will address design changes. 2 participants will be elderly healthy and 2 will have the early Alzheimer's disease. Each session will last up to 1 hour, during which participants will interact with tasks in the form of games. Games will be gradated in level of difficulty, increasing from session to session. They will be played with one game controller or with two controllers while participants wear an all-in-one head mounted display. The degree of cognitive engagement during tasks will be measured with custom biosensors and used in adjusting level of difficulty. Each participant will fill subjective evaluation form and a USE form assessing ease of use, usefulness, and perceived technology issues. Scores will be analyzed and data published, in conjunction with game performance data.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: All participants will perform same protocol consisting of 4 evaluation sessions of the BrightGo device
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease; Virtual Reality; BrightGo; Head Mounted Display; Aricept; Exelon