Quantifying the Cognitive Demand of Controlling a Prosthesis with a Secondary Detection Response Task

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Upper-limb amputees often abandon prostheses due to control difficulties.
• Developing intuitive prosthetic control requires reliable methods to measure user cognitive load.
• Current subjective measures may not fully capture the cognitive demands of prosthesis use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a secondary detection-response task (DRT) as an objective measure of cognitive load during prosthesis use.
• To assess the reliability and sensitivity of the DRT in quantifying cognitive resource allocation.
• To provide a tool for future innovation in prosthetic control systems.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed a primary task (object manipulation) with intact and prosthetic hands.
• A secondary detection-response task (DRT) involving vibratory stimuli was administered concurrently.
• Subjective workload was assessed using the NASA Task Load Index.

Main Results:

• Response time and rate in the DRT reliably indicated cognitive load during prosthesis use.
• The DRT demonstrated sensitivity to cognitive resource allocation.
• Objective DRT measures correlated with the primary task performance.

Conclusions:

• The secondary detection-response task (DRT) is a valid and reliable method for objectively assessing cognitive load in upper-limb prosthesis users.
• This objective measure can guide the development of more intuitive and user-friendly prosthetic devices.
• The findings have significant clinical relevance for improving prosthetic rehabilitation and user acceptance.