Reliability and validity of a motion-based reaction time assessment using a mobile device

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Mobile Health Technology

Background:

• Information processing speed is frequently impaired after concussion.
• A need exists for portable, accessible tools to measure simple reaction time (SRT) in clinical settings.
• Mobile applications offer a potential solution for rapid SRT assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of a mobile application (Sway) for measuring SRT.
• To compare SRT measurements obtained via the Sway app with a standard computerized test.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-seven healthy adults completed SRT tests using the Sway mobile application.
• Participants also underwent SRT testing using the Computerized Test of Information Processing (CTIP).
• Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC); criterion validity was evaluated using Pearson correlations and Bland-Altman analyses.

Main Results:

• Sway demonstrated high test-retest reliability, with ICCs ranging from 0.84-0.90 (p < .001).
• No significant differences were found between repeated Sway trials (p = .26).
• A significant positive correlation (r = 0.59, p = .001) was observed between Sway and CTIP SRT measurements, with clinically acceptable agreement.

Conclusions:

• The Sway mobile application is a reliable and valid tool for assessing SRT in healthy individuals.
• Sway's portability and ease of use make it suitable for rapid SRT testing in clinical environments.
• Further investigation of Sway for assessing processing speed deficits in concussion patients is recommended.