Windsor Arithmetic Cognition Test (WACT): Using Arithmetic Ability to Track Clinical Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury

Background Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an important cause of disability, with increasing hospitalization trends and long-term implications on quality of life and cognitive functions. Accurate assessment of recovery is essential for improved care, better use of resources, and determining readiness to return to normal activities and employment. Consequently, there is great interest in accurate and reliable assessments of cognitive function. Objectives The ability to perform simple arithmetic has been shown to involve numerous brain regions in both hemispheres. The ability to add numbers requires working memory (prefrontal cortex) and other areas such as the intraparietal sulcus and supramarginal gyrus. Consequently, we believe it is reasonable to assume that when the brain is injured there would be an impairment of mathematical ability. The Windsor Arithmetic Cognition Test (WACT) tool is a bedside arithmetic based measure of cognitive capacity and working memory. Our objective is to evaluate WACT scores as patients recover from TBI by assessing the WACT reliability and validity against existing tools such, such as the MoCa and COGLOG. We hypothesize that the WACT scores are accurate and relatively precise quantitative measures of brain cognitive capacity. Methods: Patients who are admitted to the adult neurosurgical service (in WRH Ouellette Campus) following a mild or moderate traumatic brain injury will be considered for participation. The study has received REB ethics approval and is currently in the data collection phase. We have collected data for 18 patients thus far.