Development of a Deployable Physiological Assessment and Intervention System

PTSD and TBI are debilitating psychological conditions that are difficult to diagnose and treat. These conditions have been directly correlated to depression, anxiety and somatic complaints consistent with hyper-arousal of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Verification of these results with quantitative physiological data is needed to provide accurate assessment of PTSD and TBI. To address this need the Department of Defense (DoD) requested technologically based methods to measure physiology in remote locations as well as to conduct biofeedback training. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training has been studied and found to be efficacious in reducing symptoms associated with hyperarousal in PTSD and TBI. Last fall the Center for Applied Psychophysiology (CAP) successfully tested a mobile tele-health system (MTS) for the DoD. MTS is a HRV measuring and monitoring platform that employs a Bluetooth ear sensor with remote diagnostic and biofeedback capabilities. MTS was designed to predict, prevent, and ameliorate symptoms of PTSD, TBI and other autonomic nervous system dysfunctions in military personnel at home and while deployed. Preliminary data acquired with the MTS from a study with combat Marines will be presented. In addition, a DoD funded naturalistic cognitive assessment App and an HRV biofeedback App that are housed on the same MTS platform will be demonstrated along with a novel cell phone camera flash-based sensor and self assessment and intervention Apps. Military personnel now have access to technology that can easily record physiological data in remote locations. The collected data are encrypted and sent to a HIPPA compliant cloud server where it is analyzed and sent instantaneously to military health professionals in the field and to specialists throughout the United States. Collaborative treatment decisions can now be made to potentially save lives. Moreover, military personnel now have easy access to a self-directed neurocognitive assessment and biofeedback training that can assist in preventing and ameliorating debilitating symptoms. Keywords * Neurocognitive assessment * PTSD * HRV * Mobile tele-health