A qualitative study adopting a user-centered approach to design and validate a brain computer interface for cognitive rehabilitation for people with brain injury

Abstract

Cognitive rehabilitation is established as a core intervention within rehabilitation programs following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Digitally enabled assistive technologies offer opportunities for clinicians to increase remote access to rehabilitation supporting transition into home. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems can harness the residual abilities of individuals with limited function to gain control over computers through their brain waves. This paper presents an online cognitive rehabilitation application developed with therapists, to work remotely with people who have TBI, who will use BCI at home to engage in the therapy. A qualitative research study was completed with people who are community dwellers post brain injury (end users), and a cohort of therapists involved in cognitive rehabilitation. A user-centered approach over three phases in the development, design and feasibility testing of this cognitive rehabilitation application included two tasks (Find-a-Category and a Memory Card task). The therapist could remotely prescribe activity with different levels of difficulty. The service user had a home interface which would present the therapy activities. This novel work was achieved by an international consortium of academics, business partners and service users.

Computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program GRADIOR for mild dementia and mild cognitive impairment: new features

“…GRADIOR 4 is specific software for cognitive rehabilitation that uses the latest technology and takes into account the preferences of end-users and therapists. The involvement of end-users, therapists and other stakeholders [67] in the development of GRADIOR has led to the creation of a tool that is highly suitable and convenient for clinical settings, while also contributing towards the acceptability of GRADIOR by people with dementia.…”

Integrating a gait analysis test in hospital rehabilitation: A service design approach

“…First, it provides design considerations and guidelines to integrate a gait analysis test based on MoCap technology in the rehabilitation hospital setting, which is a novel contribution and can encourage the use of this technology in this field. In this regard, Martin et al [58] encouraged researchers to realise studies that propose design recommendations based on HCD, especially in scenarios where users (in our case patients) are heterogeneous (as we see in patients with hemiplegia). This reasoning supports the presented results.…”

Methodological Designs Applied in the Development of Computer-Based Training Programs for the Cognitive Rehabilitation in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Mild Dementia. Systematic Review

“…In general, the specification of user requirements mentioned by the studies included in this systematic review took into account the needs, experience, and knowledge of the end users [58], which positively contributed to the design of the final programs. In particular, these requirements were associated with the changes and characteristics (physiological, neuropsychological, social, and physical changes) of older PwD mentioned by Guisado-Fernández, Giunti [18] in his systematic review.…”