Cambridge Brain Science Assessment Components for Concussion

Monkey Ladder

Outcome Measure = Visuospatial 
 Working Memory The ability to temporarily hold information in memory, and manipulate or update it based on changing circumstances or demands. This task involves reproducing a set of relationships between objects in space.
Example – Planning your day and the errands you need to run, then carrying out those errands in the correct order by memory.

Spatial Span

Outcome Measure = Spatial Short-Term 
 Memory The cognitive system that allows for temporary storage of spatial information in memory. Spatial short-term memory deals with the relationships between objects in space, as opposed to remembering the specific order of numbers or words involved in verbal short-term memory.
Example – Following a set of dance moves, or giving directions to someone for a route you just took.

Token Search

Outcome Measure = Working 
 Memory The ability to temporarily hold information in memory, and manipulate or update it based on changing circumstances or demands. This task involves self-directed searching, so there is a strategy component as well.

Example – Systematically searching for your car keys that have been left somewhere by your partner.

Paired Associates

Outcome Measure = Episodic Memory The ability to remember and recall specific events, paired with the context in which they occurred, such as identifying when and where an object was encountered.
Example – When storing household items after grocery shopping, later remembering which items you put where.

Odd One Out

Outcome Measure = Deductive Reasoning The core cognitive ability to apply rules to information in order to arrive at a logical conclusion.
Example – The ability to determine that something is true because of a set of facts. For instance, when doing your taxes, you may determine that you qualify for a tax rebate based on certain rules set out by your country.

Spatial Planning

Outcome Measure = Planning A fundamental property of intelligent behavior, planning is the ability to act with forethought and sequence behaviour in an orderly fashion to reach specific goals.
Example – Packing items into your car’s trunk so that they all fit, or assembling a piece of furniture.

Feature Match

Outcome Measure = Attention The ability to muster mental concentration and focus in order to monitor for a specific stimulus or difference.

Double Trouble

Outcome Measure = Response Inhibition The ability to concentrate on relevant information in order to make a correct response despite interference or distracting information.
Example – Blocking out background conversations when you’re trying to focus on something, or ignoring buzz words when viewing a television ad (“Fresh! Simple! Revolutionary!”) and focusing your attention on more important factors, like price and quality of the item being sold.
Example – Identifying similarities and differences when comparing two things, such as deciding which of many great photos of your friends to share from an evening out.