The Department of Defense has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine to study virtual reality field assessments for traumatic brain injuries. TBIs are one of the most common field-related injuries for military personnel in recent conflicts.
The grant comes from the DOD’s U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity division.
U of A researchers will utilize use a type of A-I known as ‘deep learning neural networks’ to identify neuropsychological deficits during an interactive virtual reality combat-related simulation. The system will allow simultaneous assessment of neurocognitive domains in real time while the subject navigates problems and scenarios using a headset and hand sensor.
Researchers say comprehensive TBI assessments are not often feasible for military personnel in remote areas and combat situations and that the new technology can be tailored to different situations.