Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen
October 5th, 2020
We developed the original Dual Task Screen (DTS) as a portable, low-cost measure that can evaluate athletes with sports-induced mild traumatic brain injury. We revised the original DTS for future clinical use and developed a neuroimaging-compatible version of the DTS to measure neural underpinnings of single and dual task performance.
Overview
This study presents a revised version of the Dual Task Screen (DTS), a portable and cost-effective tool designed to assess athletes with sports-induced mild traumatic brain injury. The updated DTS is compatible with neuroimaging techniques, allowing for the evaluation of neural mechanisms during single and dual task performance.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Neuroscience
- Sports Medicine
- Neuroimaging
Background
- Previous dual task measures have been used to assess athletes post-concussion.
- The original DTS was developed as a low-cost assessment tool.
- The revised DTS aims to enhance clinical applicability.
- Neuroimaging compatibility allows for deeper insights into brain function during tasks.
Purpose of Study
- To create a shorter, cost-efficient dual task measure.
- To evaluate its effectiveness in eliciting dual task costs in concussed athletes.
- To facilitate its use in various clinical settings.
Methods Used
- Participants perform a walking task over obstacles while wearing smart devices.
- Data is collected via accelerometers attached to the ankles.
- Timing of task completion is measured using a stopwatch.
- Gait characteristics are analyzed from the raw data generated during the task.
Main Results
- The DTS effectively measures dual task performance in athletes.
- Neuroimaging data provides insights into the neural underpinnings of task performance.
- The tool shows promise for broader clinical application.
- Results indicate potential for improved assessment of concussion effects.
Conclusions
- The revised DTS is a valuable tool for assessing athletes post-concussion.
- Its neuroimaging compatibility enhances understanding of brain function.
- Future studies should explore its application across different clinical contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
The revised Dual Task Screen (DTS) integrates portable, low-cost motor and cognitive assessment with neuroimaging compatibility, enabling detection of subtle functional deficits in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) populations. This approach supports early-stage target validation and mechanistic de-risking by quantifying dual task costs and neural correlates in real-world and controlled environments. The DTS positions itself as a scalable, reproducible tool for translational research and cross-cohort comparison in neurofunctional biomarker development.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables quantitative interrogation of motor-cognitive interaction and neural activation patterns in mTBI models.
- Supports functional target validation by linking behavioral outputs to neuroimaging readouts.
- Facilitates mechanistic de-risking through objective measurement of dual task performance deficits.
Screening & Assay Development
- Provides standardized, reproducible protocols for motor and cognitive task assessment using portable equipment.
- Generates quantitative outputs (e.g., gait speed, step variability, cognitive task accuracy) suitable for assay development.
- Enables screening of intervention effects on dual task performance and neural activation in preclinical or early clinical studies.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Aligns behavioral and neuroimaging biomarkers for translational continuity from discovery to preclinical validation.
- Supports risk-adjusted advancement decisions by quantifying functional and neural outcomes in disease-relevant systems.
- Facilitates cross-population and longitudinal studies of mTBI recovery and intervention efficacy.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
The DTS fits within the discovery-to-preclinical continuum, bridging behavioral phenotyping and neuroimaging analytics for target validation and biomarker development.
- Discovery Biology: Quantifies dual task costs and neural activation to clarify functional pathways in mTBI.
- Screening: Delivers reproducible, quantitative outputs for comparing intervention or cohort effects.
- Analytics: Integrates accelerometry and fNIRS data for robust statistical analysis of motor-cognitive performance.
- Translational Research: Aligns behavioral and neural readouts for preclinical and early clinical studies.
- Enterprise Reuse: Offers a portable, scalable platform adaptable across research sites and study designs.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Increases predictive confidence in functional biomarker identification and target validation.
- Operational Value: Standardizes dual task assessment with portable, low-cost instrumentation and reproducible protocols.
- Strategic Value: Enables data-driven go/no-go decisions and reduces late-stage biological risk in neurofunctional portfolios.
- Portfolio Impact: Supports risk-adjusted prioritization and cross-study comparability in CNS and neurotrauma pipelines.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in motor-cognitive task administration and neuroimaging setup (fNIRS).
- Needs portable accelerometry devices, fNIRS instrumentation, and compatible data acquisition software.
- Demands cross-team standardization of task protocols and data processing pipelines.
- Adaptable to various model systems but limited to superficial cortical measurements with fNIRS.
- Complementary neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI) may be needed for deeper brain structure analysis.
Biopharma FAQs
Chapters in this video
0:05
Introduction
0:36
Revised Dual Task Screen (DTS): Lower Extremity (LE) Subtask
1:59
DTS: Upper Extremity (UE) Subtask
2:54
Neuroimaging-Compatible DTS Setup
4:11
Subtask Data Acquisition
5:44
Results: Representative LE and UE Subtask Performance Analyses
7:13
Conclusion
