On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 11:59 AM, noonie <[email protected]> wrote:
> Greetings, > > These types of games are really testing more than reaction time (pattern > recognition, spatial and trajectory analysis) and although we may assume > that those cognitive abilities remain the same for an individual, in the > short to medium term, you can get better at it with practice. > > And then it goes the other way, when you get tired of it. Kind of like the glaucoma 'light test' (don't move your eye, stare straight ahead, and push a button when you see a LED anywhere in the field of view. Oh, and do this for about 45 minutes. The results for the second eye are usually down from the first, I understand) > If you're just testing reaction time then "push the button when you see > the light" has it all over the others... But is nowhere near as much fun > ;-( > > See above. Last time I did something like this (that required accurate and repeatable time intervals) I had to run it off an interrupt. Or the latency jitter killed the test. > If you're testing motor skills then a test of precision may be better. How > about a computer version of the old "skill testers" that involved a wiggly > wire and a loop with a bell and, optionally, a mild electric shock ;-) > > Only mild? > -- > Regards, > noonie > > > On 17 February 2012 11:05, Bec Carter <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 1:00 AM, Les Hughes <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Ian Thomas wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> An OT “project” of mine. >> >> >> >> A friend has Parkinson’s disease, and is getting the jitters. He was a >> >> senior manager in a major IT corporation (he is not a programmer, did >> some >> >> FORTRAN for his MSc, years ago – but he’s smart enough). About a year >> ago >> >> wrote for himself a simple reaction time (mouse response to some cue >> >> appearing on screen) in MS Excel (VBA), but he would like to do some >> .NET >> >> programming, and also write something more appropriate for his >> condition. >> >> >> >> I have seen a few things on CodeProject that might be adaptable, but >> most >> >> are too elaborate (games, which assume super-quick reaction time but >> also >> >> are too involved in terms of story line, graphics, etc). >> >> >> >> Over time, I would be grateful if anyone on the list can just post a >> URL >> >> that I can have a look at. I’ve got him working with VS2008 Express, >> but >> >> might need to use a more capable / more recent IDE. >> >> >> >> (Those of you who are aware of tests for behavioural neuroscience may >> know >> >> that this is a reasonably involved area of research and testing, *but* >> is >> >> also a very fertile area for internet money-raking, by individuals >> whose >> >> ethical behaviour is similar to those advertising p3nis enlargement!) >> >> >> >> >> >> Thanks – it would be good to get a few tips. >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> >> >> >> >> Ian Thomas >> >> Victoria Park, Western Australia >> >> >> > >> > Hi Ian, >> > >> > Just an idea which came to me, not sure if it is much use (at least in >> the >> > short term), but it seems like a game similar to tetris (maybe even a >> > simpler version with only 3 or 4 shapes) might be good for testing >> reaction >> > times. You can graph the average response time from when a shape >> appears to >> > where it is placed, and see how it goes as the game gets faster. >> Obviously >> > this will not give good results after one game (because reaction times >> will >> > also depend on what shapes you have at the bottom and ability to problem >> > solve), but I think the data gained over the longer term can show >> trends and >> > averages/etc. >> > >> > Also maybe a game that shows you three images, where two are the same >> and >> > one is different, and using left, down, right on the arrowpad you need >> to >> > select the one that doesn't match. You could once again keep the data >> and >> > graph this over the long term. >> >> Even Pong could be used this way I guess >> >> > >> > Anyway, good luck, and I'd be interested to here any progress. >> > >> > -- >> > Les Hughes >> > [email protected] >> > > -- Meski http://courteous.ly/aAOZcv "Going to Starbucks for coffee is like going to prison for sex. Sure, you'll get it, but it's going to be rough" - Adam Hills
