McKanna James A, Pavel Misha, Jimison Holly
Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc. 2010 Nov 13;2010:507-11.
Assessment of cognitive functionality is an important aspect of care for elders. Unfortunately, few tools exist to measure divided attention, the ability to allocate attention to different aspects of tasks. An accurate determination of divided attention would allow inference of generalized cognitive decline, as well as providing a quantifiable indicator of an important component of driving skill. We propose a new method for determining relative divided attention ability through unobtrusive monitoring of computer use. Specifically, we measure performance on a dual-task cognitive computer exercise as part of a health coaching intervention. This metric indicates whether the user has the ability to pay attention to both tasks at once, or is primarily attending to one task at a time (sacrificing optimal performance). The monitoring of divided attention in a home environment is a key component of both the early detection of cognitive problems and for assessing the efficacy of coaching interventions.
认知功能评估是老年人护理的一个重要方面。不幸的是，用于测量分散注意力（即将注意力分配到任务不同方面的能力）的工具很少。准确测定分散注意力有助于推断是否存在一般性认知衰退，还能提供驾驶技能这一重要组成部分的量化指标。我们提出一种通过对计算机使用情况进行非侵入式监测来确定相对分散注意力能力的新方法。具体而言，作为健康指导干预的一部分，我们测量用户在一项双任务认知计算机练习中的表现。该指标表明用户是能够同时关注两项任务，还是一次主要关注一项任务（牺牲最佳表现）。在家庭环境中监测分散注意力是认知问题早期检测以及评估指导干预效果的关键组成部分。
