Tablet-based assessment protocol for cognition: development and preliminary usability testing of a cognitive...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Digital Health
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Computerized cognitive screening offers advantages over traditional methods.
• Touchscreen tools provide accessible digital interfaces.
• There is a need for brief, home-deliverable cognitive screening tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the development of TAP-COG, a tablet-based cognitive screening tool.
• To conduct a preliminary usability evaluation of TAP-COG.
• To assess multiple cognitive domains including processing speed, attention, and memory.

Main Methods:

• Developed TAP-COG, a tablet-based tool with five self-administered tasks.
• Optimized tasks for tablet interaction, recording reaction time, accuracy, and errors.
• Conducted a usability study with 80 healthy adults using the System Usability Scale.

Main Results:

• All participants completed the TAP-COG battery independently.
• Participants reported clear instructions and ease of use.
• 80% rated usability as "good" to "excellent," unaffected by age, education, or cognitive status.

Conclusions:

• TAP-COG demonstrates high usability as a scalable, self-administered cognitive screening tool.
• Findings support further validation in diverse populations.
• TAP-COG shows promise for research and clinical applications.