Neuropeak is a neurocognitive battery evaluating cognitive functions that are sensitive to several pathologies and normal aging process. This is a multi-devices tool (desktop, laptop, tablet) that was developed for both clinicians and researchers. The main focus of the battery is executive functions: attentional control mechanisms by which we control information and lower cognitive function. According to various theorical model (Miyake et al.,2000; 2012), executive functions are divided in several different sub-fonctions: inhibition, switching, updating and divided attention. The battery contains 3 different tasks to cover these functions: Stroop, nBack and Dual-task.
There are several advantages to computerized testing including being able to quickly assess a large quantity of subjects, being readily accessible, and low-cost, potentially reducing assessment times through real-time continuous adaptive protocols, providing uniform administration and automatic scoring, facilitating large dataset mining and integrating more complex and automate interpretive algorithms to support decision rules for determining impairment or statistically reliable change (Bauer et al., 2012; Koski et al., 2011; Parsey & Schmitter-Edgecombe, 2013). Advantages might even be greater for executive functions assessment than for any other cognitive functions because evaluation of executive functions often relies on short reaction time analysis and requires comparison between various types of conditions within the tasks.
More technically, Neuropeak was programmed in javascript and php. This way it is accessible by browser and it is highly "portable". A MySQL database keeps track of all the testing from different researcher teams. The main goal is to create normative data allowing us to detect accurately mild cognitive impairment.
for more information, visit http://www.lesca.ca/neuropeak/index2.php
