London: Gaming apps can help identify ongoing problems with navigation - a common long-term symptom of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) - making these issues easier to diagnose and treat, claims a study. The human ability to navigate is controlled by a complex network of mechanisms, involving several different cognitive processes in the brain, which makes it particularly vulnerable to damage.
Yet the process of wayfinding, and the ability to orient back to the direction you have recently come, are rarely tested in TBI patients, despite the significant impact these challenges can have on daily life. To understand, researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, UK tested people for navigational abilities using mobile adventure game Sea Hero Quest.
They found that patients with TBIs had significant deficits in their navigational abilities, which were not previously revealed through a self-assessment. This opens an avenue for better detection and treatment for people suffering the long-term effects of TBIs. "The biggest benefit of this work is that it shows that navigation deficits experienced by TBI patients can be detected using a relatively quick, low-cost method that can be tested remotely - our participants can take part in a certified scientific study while sitting on their sofa!" said Dr Rebecca Knight, senior lecturer in psychology at the varsity.