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2020 (1)

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Dissertation
Digitalization and Enhancement of Neuropsychological Tests

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Abstract

The world's population is rapidly growing older and with population aging comes increasing load on healthcare systems due to the various ailments that follow high age. Amongst these health conditions is the deterioration of cognitive functions. To clinically diagnose those whose cognition is impaired, cognitive test batteries are used. One of the commonly used test batteries in Belgium is The Cognitive Testbatterij voor Senioren or COTESS. The test battery is performed on paper in a series of sessions with a psychologist who observes the performance and grades each test. In the technical world we live in today, we have the opportunity to move this process to a digital platform, relieving the workload of neuropsychologists and giving them more time to spend on all the other important tasks their job requires. In this thesis, we go through the process of digitalizing a neuropsychological test. First, we explore the effects of automating a neuropsychological test whilst keeping the experience similar to the original one. Once the test has been automated, we attempt to use the advantages of the digital medium to provide further insight into the patient's cognitive profile. This involves collecting additional digital biomarkers that may be relevant to the diagnosing process and presenting the results in an insightful way. To achieve our goal, methods of user-centered design were used. Two experienced psychologists and founding members of the COTESS test battery helped us in the process as our potential end-users. A C# desktop application was developed which mimicked the original pen-and-paper test. In addition, the measurements of pressure and velocity were integrated into the application. A third measurement, tremor, was developed but not yet integrated. In the end, a usability test was conducted with the two end-users, where measurements of the usability of the application were done, followed by a questionnaire regarding the system's usability, and acceptance of the digitalized test. The usability test revealed there are still some aspects of the design that can be improved, and there might be a learning curve to some of the specific features of the application. The users were positive about the application, but no definitive conclusion could be drawn from the user test due to the limited number of participants. However, this indicates a positive attitude towards the digitalization of neuropsychological tests which encourages further testing and development. Hopefully, this thesis will be a valuable contribution to the important process of digitalizing neuropsychological tests and help in reducing the load on healthcare.

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