Improving and Sharing Research Tools

This project, R21AG074497 funded by the National Institute of Aging, seeks to develop a common platform of testing cognitive interventions. Effective measurement of cognitive abilities is fundamental to effective diagnostics, risk assessment, and evaluation of interventions targeted towards older adults. With the saturation of smartphone/tablet technology in modern society, a proliferation of mobile cognitive assessments from companies, healthcare providers, and researchers are being developed. However, a difficulty in evaluating such interventions, and in particular making comparison between them, is the lack of standardization/interoperability of assessment tools. Here, we leverage technologies, existing assessment batteries, and know-how from the Brain Game Center, UCSF Neuroscape Center, and UCI Working Memory and Plasticity Lab to develop systems that allow for interoperability of assessments, enrollment/participant tracking systems, data visualization, and participant compliance systems. These systems will be documented and will be shared with other scientists groups to reduce the barrier of entry for other groups.

We are committed to open-source tools and have developed a wide range of tools that support research using the UNITY Game Engine, called BGC Tools. These tools support a wide range of operations ranging from participant management, mathematical operations, state machines, shaders for visual studies, systems for sound generation, tools for IO, and more. We are constantly adding to these powerful systems that can give others a head start on their own projects.