Considerations For Using Subjective Mental Workload Measures In Populations With Cognitive Deficits

Mental workload measurement has been a traditional and well-used method in human factors for over 50 years and continues to be highly relevant today. It has been applied to a variety of fields, including healthcare, though subjects have been clinicians rather than patients. Subjective mental workload measures are based on the assumptions that subjects can report self-functioning (i.e. persons with complete cognitive functioning). Thus, if subjective mental workload is applied to a population of persons with limited and / or dynamically changing cognitive functioning, then the basic assumptions of subjective mental workload are violated. This paper explores the considerations for incorporating subjective mental workload measurement tools into rehabilitative practices for cognitive deficits, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke patients.