Cognitive Games and Assessments
mindLAMP offers a variety of neurocognitive assessments in the form of games, all of which are native to the app. These neurocognitive assessments appear under the Assess tab of the app, and performance scores can be viewed on the Portal tab.
Balloon Risk
Balloon Risk, or the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) is a computerized risk-reward assessment task (1). The BART has shown to be significantly correlated to self report scores on risk related constructs such as sensation seeking, impulsivity and behavioral constraint, as well as real world risk behaviors such as drug use, gambling, and sexually risky behavior (1, 2, 3). The user must tap to inflate a balloon as many times as possible without popping it. The task has been successfully used as a computerized assessment for risk-taking behavior. Every time the user taps to inflate the balloon, the potential number of points the user can receive increases: if the user clicks on "collect points," these points are added to the user's current total; if, however, the user pops the balloon before clicking on "collect points," no points are added to the user's current total. The number of taps it takes for the balloon to pop is different for each balloon. Domain assessed: risk-taking behavior
References
- Lejuez, C. W., Read, J. P., Kahler, C. W., Richards, J. B., Ramsey, S. E., Stuart, G. L., ... & Brown, R. A. (2002). Evaluation of a behavioral measure of risk taking: the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8(2), 75. DOI: 10.1037//1076-898X.8.2.75
- Hunt, M. K., Hopko, D. R., Bare, R., Lejuez, C. W., & Robinson, E. V. (2005). Construct validity of the balloon analog risk task (BART) associations with psychopathy and impulsivity. Assessment, 12(4), 416-428. DOI: 10.1177/1073191105278740
- Lauriola, M., Panno, A., Levin, I. P., & Lejuez, C. W. (2014). Individual differences in risky decision making: A meta‐analysis of sensation seeking and impulsivity with the balloon analogue risk task. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 27(1), 20-36. DOI: 10.1002/bdm.1784
Sample Game Play
Customization
Balloon Count: The number of trials required to complete the task can be adjusted by changing the number of balloons.
Breakpoint Mean and Standard Deviation: The level of risk can be adjusted by changing the mean number and standard deviation of taps required to burst the balloon.
Scoring
Scoring is based on whether or not the balloon pops: if the balloon does not pop and the user clicks on "collect points", the number of points the user receives is the number of times the user has inflated the balloon without it popping; if the balloon does pop, the user receives 0 points.
Sample Instructions
Tap the button labeled 'Pump Up Balloon' to inflate it as large as you can, before the balloon bursts. When you feel like you can't inflate it anymore without it bursting, tap the button to 'Collect Points'. The number of times you pumped up the balloon will be equal to the number of points you get. If the balloon bursts, you get no points!
Cats and Dogs
Originally developed for the assessment of early-stage Parkinson's disease, Cats and Dogs requires the user to remember where different stimuli are and which stimuli to respond to, reproduce the location of the response stimuli from memory, and switch between which stimuli to pay attention to. The boxes on the screen temporarily disappear, revealing a dog or a cat behind some of them. After the boxes reappear, the user must select the boxes with a cat or dog behind them. As the game progresses, the instructions change to assess response control and set-shifting, and the user must select either cats or dogs, which collectively function as go/no-go stimuli. For later trials with a fixed level, the user will be required to remember more cues. Domains assessed: visual and working memory, attention, response control, and set-shifting
References
- Weil, R. S., Pappa, K., Schade, R. N., Schrag, A. E., Bahrami, B., Schwarzkopf, D. S., ... & Morris, H. R. (2017). The cats‐and‐dogs test: a tool to identify visuoperceptual deficits in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders, 32(12), 1789-1790. DOI: 10.1002/mds.27176.
Sample Game Play
Customization
The game automatically progresses as levels are completed. No researcher-defined customization is necessary.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the number of correct cats or dogs selected within the timeframe of the game.
Sample Instructions
"In this game, you will see a screen with many boxes. These boxes will 'lift', revealing either a dog, cat, or nothing behind them. Your task is to tap the correct boxes, based on what is behind each box. The instructions for which boxes are correct will change depending on the level, so pay attention to the animals!"
DCog (coming soon!)
Similar to the Cats and Dogs game, the Dcog game presents the user with an array of boxes and, after briefly revealing what is hidden between them, asks the user to click on the boxes behind which dogs are hidden; the game itself is similar to its iBOCA3 counterpart. If the user correctly selects all of the boxes with dogs behind them, the next level has 2 additional boxes and 1 more dog; if, on the other hand, the user does not correctly select all of the boxes with dogs behind them, the next level has 2 fewer boxes and 1 less dog. The number of boxes on the screen caps at 10, and the game lasts no longer than 2 minutes. Domains assessed: visual and working memory, attention, response control, and set-shifting
References
- Weil, R. S., Pappa, K., Schade, R. N., Schrag, A. E., Bahrami, B., Schwarzkopf, D. S., ... & Morris, H. R. (2017). The cats‐and‐dogs test: a tool to identify visuoperceptual deficits in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders, 32(12), 1789-1790. DOI: 10.1002/mds.27176.
Sample Game Play
Customization
The game automatically progresses as levels are completed. No researcher-defined customization is necessary.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the number of dogs remembered correctly across trials.
Sample Instructions
When the squares turn white, tap where the dogs were.
Digit Symbol Substitution Test
Initially developed as part of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and later digitized, the symbol-digit substitution task is one of the most frequently used assessment in neuropsychological testing (1, 2, 3). The measure has shown to be valid and sensitive to change in major depressive disorder, age-related cognitive decline, alcoholism and a variety of other conditions (3). Given a mapping of various symbols to numbers 1-9, the user is presented with a symbol and required to tap the corresponding number. Domains assessed: motor speed, attention, associative thinking
References
- Wechsler, D. (1955). Wechsler adult intelligence scale--. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. DOI: 10.1037/t15169-000
- McLeod, D. R., Griffiths, R. R., Bigelow, G. E., & Yingling, J. (1982). An automated version of the digit symbol substitution test (DSST). Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation, 14(5), 463-466. DOI: 10.3758/BF03203313
- Jaeger, J. (2018). Digit symbol substitution test: the case for sensitivity over specificity in neuropsychological testing. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 38(5), 513. DOI: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000000941
Sample Game Play
Customization
Number of symbols: The researcher can specify how many symbols should appear in the game.
Duration: The researcher can set how long the task lasts in seconds.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the total number of correct symbols selected within the given timeframe.
Sample Instructions
In this game, you will be shown a symbol in the center of the screen. This symbol will correspond to a number. Check the symbol-mapping shown at the top of the screen and look for your symbol. Identify the symbol which corresponds to your symbol. Once you find the corresponding symbol, select the corresponding number at the bottom of the screen. After you make the correct selection, you will move on to a new symbol, and the process will repeat until time runs out. The faster you move, the more points you will accrue.
Emotion Recognition
The emotion recognition task is designed to allow researchers to upload up to 50 pictures of faces and test whether the user can select the emotion that each image represents from a preset list of emotions (namely, happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and neutral). When a user takes this assessment, they are presented with a random subset of 10 images from the images provided by the researchers. If the researchers provided fewer than 10 images, all images will be displayed in a random order. To progress through this assessment, participants first click on the emotion they feel best applies to the image and then on "Save" to move onto the next question. Domain assessed: social cognition
Sample game play
The user progresses through a series of up to 10 screens in which they are presented with an image and must select the corresponding emotion from a list of options. Video to be added soon.
Customization
Researchers must provide a dataset of up to 50 facial images for the emotion recognition and label each image with the corresponding emotion. Currently, the emotions that researchers can use to label an image are restricted to happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and neutral.
Scoring
Scoring is based on whether the user correctly identifies the emotion expressed by the image or not.
Sample Instructions
In this task you will be presented with up to 10 facial images and asked to identify the emotion expressed by each one from a list of 5 emotions.
Fragmented Letters (coming soon!)
In the Fragmented Letters game, the user is presented with letters of the alphabet written in black ink on a white background that have been slightly "fragmented", in that some parts of the letters blend in with the background. Fragmentation is understood as the number of pixels in the letter that are white instead of black, out of the total number of pixels normally in the letter. The user must attempt to verbally identify the fragmented letter: if the user correctly identifies the letter, the next letter in the sequence is even more fragmented by 5%; if the user, however, does not correctly identify the letter, the next letter in the sequence is less fragmented by 5%. The game concludes after the user has made two errors. Domains assessed: Visual/perceptual
References
- Warrington EK, James M. The Visual Object and Space Perception Battery: Thames Valley Test Company; 1991.
Sample game play
Video to be added.
Customization
Starting Fragmentation: The researcher can choose the initial degree of fragmentation from 30%, 40%, and 50%.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the the number of letters the user correctly identifies.
Sample Instructions
To be added.
Funny Memory Game (coming soon!)
The Funny Memory Game, similarly to the iBOCA3 Associative Memory Game, tests the user's associative memory by presenting a series of images in pairs and asking the user (1) to verbally identify the items in the images during the initial exposure phase; (2) to verbally recall the images during the recall phase, following a delay of between 1 to 5 minutes, during which the user completes some memory surveys; and (3) to verbally recognize either what is missing from a given image or which image had been presented before.
Domains assessed: associative memory
Sample game play
Video to be added.
Customization
Details and pictures to be added.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the following metrics:
- The number of correct pairs recalled, out of 6
- The number of correct items recalled, out of 12
- The number of items recognized, out of 6
Sample Instructions
You will see a series of pictures. Please say out loud the 2 items in each picture.
Jewels
Based on the Trail Making Tests which are typically used to screen for dementia and assess cognition, Jewels is a test in which the user must sequentially select numbered jewels in ascending order: Trails A requires the user to make a "trail" connecting numbered circles placed randomly on a single page in ascending order; Trails B requires the user to make a similar trail, alternating between numbered and alphabetized circles. Evidence suggests that digital and computerized version of the pen-and-paper Trail Making Test reliably assess the same cognitive domains (2, 3, 4). For Jewels B, instead of having alternating numbers and alphabets, the sets alternate between two differently shaped jewels. Domains assessed: visual and motor abilities, executive functioning, and set shifting
References
- Soo-Yong Park & Nadja Schott (2021) The trail-making-test: Comparison between paper-and-pencil and computerized versions in young and healthy older adults, Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2020.1864374 https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2020.1864374
- Chanda Simfukwe, Young Chul Youn, Sang Yun Kim & Seong Soo An (2021) Digital trail making test-black and white: Normal vs MCI, Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2021.1871615 https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2021.1871615
- Magdalene R. Bracken, Anya Mazur-Mosiewicz & Kuba Glazek (2019) Trail Making Test: Comparison of paper-and-pencil and electronic versions, Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 26:6, 522-532, DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2018.1460371 https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2018.1460371
- Robert P. Fellows, Jessamyn Dahmen, Diane Cook & Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe (2017) Multicomponent analysis of a digital Trail Making Test, The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 31:1, 154-167, DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2016.1238510 https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2016.1238510
Sample Game Play
Customization
Variant: Researchers can specify whether they would like for users to play Trials A or Trials B.
Mode: Researchers can set the game's difficulty as Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, or Expert: as the difficulty increases, the time in seconds the user has to complete the trail decreases. The duration for each difficulty mode can also be set directly by the researchers.
Initial Diamond Count: Researchers can set the number of jewels that appear in Level 1, up to 25.
Initial Shape Count: If desired, the game can present any number of shapes, beyond the number of shapes typically used for Trails A and B.
Bonus points: To further with gamification, researchers can award bonus points for each level the user completes.
For more advanced settings, please contact our research team for assistance. Researchers can also decide to include a pop-up at the conclusion of the activity such as the following:
Scoring
Scoring for both variants is based on the number of incorrect jewels selected: scoring is out of 100 points, with each incorrect jewel resulting in a deduction of 2 points.
Sample Instructions
Sample Instructions, Jewels A: "Tap the jewels in chronological order, starting with number 1."
Sample Instructions, Jewels B: "Look at the bottom of the screen to see which jewel to collect first. Tap number of 1 of that shape, and then number 1 of the second shape. Continue alternating the jewel pattern in chronological order until all of the jewels have been collected."
Maze Task
The Maze task can be used to measure motor control and spatial problem solving. Though there is not a gold standard model, digital maze games have been utilized in the assessment of visual cognition and problem solving in individuals with neurodegenerative disorders, brain injury, and schizophrenia (1, 2, 3). Participants can tilt their phone to move the ball and exit the maze. The first level starts with one ball and two rings, and the difficulty increases with each level (more balls, more intricate puzzle designs). Domains assessed: visual cognition and problem solving
References
- Jin, R., Pilozzi, A., & Huang, X. (2020). Current cognition tests, potential virtual reality applications, and serious games in cognitive assessment and non-pharmacological therapy for neurocognitive disorders. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(10), 3287. DOI: 10.3390/jcm9103287
- Livingstone, S. A., & Skelton, R. W. (2007). Virtual environment navigation tasks and the assessment of cognitive deficits in individuals with brain injury. Behavioural brain research, 185(1), 21-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2007.07.015
- Wilkins, L. K., Girard, T. A., Herdman, K. A., Christensen, B. K., King, J., Kiang, M., & Bohbot, V. D. (2017). Hippocampal activation and memory performance in schizophrenia depend on strategy use in a virtual maze. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 268, 1-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.07.007
Sample Game Play
Customization
The game automatically progresses as levels are completed. No researcher-defined customization is necessary. Researchers and clinicians can decide to include a pop-up at the conclusion of the activity such as the following:
Scoring
Scoring is based on the time taken to complete each level as well as the number of levels completed.
Sample Instructions
In this game, you can tilt your phone to control a small ball seen on your screen. Try to navigate the ball out of the center of the maze and into the open space. The faster you escape, the more points you will accrue.
Memory Game (coming soon!)
The memory game assesses spatial and temporal memory by present the user with a sequence of images and prompts the user to recreate the sequence given by selecting the appropriate boxes in order.
References
- Lindeboom, J., Schmand, B., Tulner, L., Walstra, G., & Jonker, C. (2002). Visual association test to detect early dementia of the Alzheimer type. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 73(2), 126-133.
Domains assessed: spatial and temporal memory
Sample game play
Video to be added.
Customization
Foils: The researcher can select how many "foils," or incorrect images, are presented: either 3 out of 9 images can be foils, or 4 out of 12.
Animation interval: The researcher can set how much time in seconds passes between consecutive images in a sequence.
Animation persistence: The researcher can set how long in seconds the entire sequence remains on screen once all images have been displayed.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the number of sequences correctly recreated by the user.
Sample Instructions
You will see a short sequence of pictures appear in the gray boxes. Please remember the pictures and their locations in order.
Pop the Bubbles
An instance of a go/no-go task in which the user must respond to one stimulus and ignore another, Pop the Bubbles presents multiple stimuli in the form of bubbles of 3 different colors (i.e. pink, blue, and yellow), which the user must either "pop" by clicking on them or ignore. The user must pay attention to the rules for each level in order to know which bubbles to pop and which to ignore. In addition to color-based responses, higher levels also require pattern-based responses. Domains assessed: attention
Sample Game Play
Customization
Level Count: The researcher can specify how many bubbles are shown in level 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Level Speed: The researcher can specify how fast bubbles appear in level 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Intertrial Duration: The researcher can set the time in seconds betweens trials.
Bubble Duration: The researcher can set how long in seconds bubbles stay on the screen once they appear.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the percentage of bubbles successfully popped, the percentage of incorrectly missed bubbles, the percentage of correctly-ignored bubbles and the percentage of incorrectly popped bubbles, as shown below:
Sample Instructions
"In this game, you will see lots of different colored bubbles, one at a time. Your task is to "pop" the correctly colored bubbles, while ignoring the incorrect ones. Pay attention to the instructions for each level to know which colored bubbles you should tap, and which ones you should ignore. Your score is based on the percentage of balloons shown that you correctly tapped, minus the percentage of balloons shown that you incorrectly tapped, with a perfect score being 100%."
Spatial Span
Spatial Span is a task that assess visuospatial memory, derived from a computerized spatial span test, and iterating upon the commonly used Corsi Block Test and Wechsler Spatial Span tests (1). Spatial span assessments have been used in a variety of populations, including idividuals with autism, psychosis, and depression (2, 3, 4). In this game, white squares are arranged in a grid. Squares will "light up" or change to green, and then return to white, one square at a time. The user must recall and reproduce the order in which squares in the grid light up. The task can be customized such that the patterns must be reproduced in the same order as cued, or in reverse of the order cued. At every subsequent level, the number of squares that light up increases. The recall and reproduce task utilizes the visuospatial working memory. The backward variation also measures working memory, as some processing must be done before reproducing the pattern. Finally, memory capacity is assessed by increasing the number of squares to the user must remember. Domain assessed: visuospatial memory
References
- Woods, D. L., Wyma, J. M., Herron, T. J., & Yund, E. W. (2016). An improved spatial span test of visuospatial memory. Memory, 24(8), 1142-1155. DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2015.1076849
- Wang, Y., Zhang, Y. B., Liu, L. L., Cui, J. F., Wang, J., Shum, D. H., ... & Chan, R. C. (2017). A meta-analysis of working memory impairments in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychology review, 27, 46-61. DOI: 10.1007/s11065-016-9336-y
- Sheffield, J. M., Karcher, N. R., & Barch, D. M. (2018). Cognitive deficits in psychotic disorders: a lifespan perspective. Neuropsychology review, 28, 509-533. DOI: 10.1007/s11065-018-9388-2
- Douglas, K. M., Gallagher, P., Robinson, L. J., Carter, J. D., McIntosh, V. V., Frampton, C. M., ... & Porter, R. J. (2018). Prevalence of cognitive impairment in major depression and bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorders, 20(3), 260-274. DOI: 10.1111/bdi.12602
Sample Game Play
Forward Spatial Span
Scoring
Scoring is based on how many times participants can correctly complete the task within the time limit at the top of the screen.
Customization
Tap Order: The researcher can choose between the Forward Spatial Span and Backward Spatial Span.
Researchers and clinicians can decide to include a pop-up at the conclusion of the activity such as the following:
Sample Instructions
Forward Spatial Span: "You will see a grid of boxes. The boxes in a grid will light up in a certain order. Remember that order, and then tap the boxes in the same order in which they lit up. Each level will have more boxes light up in the sequence. See how far you can get!"
Backwards Spatial Span: "You will see a grid of boxes. The boxes in a grid will light up in a certain order. Remember that order, and then tap the boxes in the REVERSE order in which they lit up. Each level will have more boxes light up in the sequence. See how far you can get!"
Speech Recording (coming soon!)
The Speech Recording presents the user with a series of prompt specified by the researcher and records the user's responses; the user can record up to 1 minute of audio. Domain assessed: verbal
Sample game play
Video to be added.
Customization
Description and image to be added.
Scoring
To be determined.
Sample Instructions
To be added.
Spin the Wheel
Spin the Wheel is based on the Iowa Gambling Task that aims to measure decision-making and risk-taking behavior (1). The Iowa Gambling Task has been effectively used in studying clinical conditions such as substance abuse, pathological gambling, and schizophrenia (2). The task has been effectively computerized, with no discernable difference between digital and analogue versions (2, 3). The game presents the user with a wheel that can be spun by selecting one of four buttons at the bottom of the screen. Each spin can result in a win or loss of money, and the total amount remaining is displayed at the top of the screen. Participants start with $2000 and have 20 spins per game by default. Domains assessed: decision-making and risk-taking behavior
References
- Bechara, A., Damasio, A. R., Damasio, H., & Anderson, S. W. (1994). Insensitivity to future consequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex. Cognition, 50(1-3), 7-15. DOI: 10.1016/0010-0277(94)90018-3
- Bechara A. (2007). Iowa Gambling Task Professional Manual. Version 1, ed Raton B. (Lutz: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.).
- Bowman, C. H., Evans, C. E. Y., & Turnbull, O. H. (2005). Artificial time constraints on the Iowa gambling task: the effects of behavioural performance and subjective experience. Brain and Cognition, 57, 21–25. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2004.08.015
Sample Game Play
Customization
Spins per game: The researcher can set how many spins it takes for the game to end.
Starting balance: The researcher can set the initial balance the user has.
Sum: The researcher can select whether the sum added or subtracted from the user's balance is 50, 100, or 250.
Probability: The researcher can choose the probability of a spin landing on a given sum from the following values: 0, 25%, 50%, or 75%.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the amount of money the user has at the end of the game.
Sample Instructions
"The game presents you with two wheels that can be spun by selecting one of four buttons at the bottom of the screen. The colors of the buttons do not correspond to the colors on the wheel. Each spin can result in a win or loss of money, with the wheel at the top displaying the money you won and the bottom displaying the money lost. The total amount remaining is displayed at the top of the screen. You start with $2000 and have 20 spins per game by default. Points at the end of a session are represented in the amount of money you have."
Trails B (coming soon!)
Part of the Trails Making Test, Trails B presents the user with an array of dots containing numbers and letters and requires the user to select the dots in ascending order, tapping on numbers and letters in alternation. Unlike its paper-and-pencil counterpart, this digital adaptation allows the user to discretely tap each of the dots, without having to maintain constant contact with the phone screen. Domain assessed: frontoexecutive
References
- Army Individual Test Battery (1984)
Sample game play
Customization
Number of dots for Level 1: The researcher can set the number of dots to either 10 or 12.
Timeout period for Level 1: The researcher can set the time limit in seconds for Level 1.
Number of dots for Level 2: The researcher can set the number of dots to either 20 or 24.
Timeout period for Level 2: The researcher can set the time limit in seconds for Level 2.
Scoring
Scoring is based on the accuracy with which the user taps out each sequence.
Sample Instructions
For this game, you will alternate between tapping on numbers and letters in increasing order: for instance, 1-A-2-B etc.