cueStim Human Factors Testing
Participant Information Sheet
The University of Galway of Galway, Ireland under the direction of Professor Gearóid ÓLaighin is developing a new therapy for freezing of gait, called cueStim, through grant funding from the Irish state agency Enterprise Ireland. To assist this work and to ensure that the design of therapy meets the need of the intended users, persons with Parkinson’s affected by freezing of gait, it is intended to seek feedback from persons with Parkinson’s.
The University of Galway is working in partnership with NeuroLab 360 of Encinitas, California to carry out this testing. NeuroLab 360 will recruit participants who will provide feedback on the University of Galway’s therapy design. University of Galway will seek feedback from the test participants at the NeuroLab 360 offices and NeuroLab 360 will supervise the feedback process and ensure the safety of the participants throughout the test procedure. 10 participants will be required for four sessions of human factors testing each.
Inclusion criteria for participants:
• Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease
• Experience freezing of gait daily or weekly
• Minimal cognitive impairments
Exclusion criteria for participants:
• Significant speech impairment
The test participants will be persons with Parkinson’s disease who are affected to at least a mild or moderate degree by freezing – freezing occurs at least once per day or weekly.
If interested in participating, the participants will be required to provide written informed consent to participate in testing and to also sign a confidentiality clause relating to the technology being evaluated.
As part of the feedback process, the participants will be asked a range of questions and should have the cognitive and speech capabilities to participate in the feedback sessions.
What the Testing Involves:
There are two parts of the cueStim therapy: a wearable electronic device and a smartphone App and prototypes of these two elements will be tested over four sessions as the design of the wearable and smartphone app evolves over the period of the project. Feedback will be sought from the participants of the wearable device and the smartphone app design. Evaluating the wearable device will involve the participant carrying out the following tasks
• Evaluating the look and feel of the wearable design
• Putting on the wearable
• Taking off the wearable
• Sitting with the wearable fitted for 10 minutes
• Standing with the wearable fitted for 10 minutes
• Walking with the wearable fitted for 10 minutes
• Replacing electrodes on the wearable
• Charging the wearable
Evaluating the smartphone app prototype will involve the participant carrying out the following tasks
• Evaluating the look and feel of the App design
• Completing the daily FoG diary
• Completing the daily falls diary
• Completing the UX diary
• Adjusting device settings
Where testing will occur:
Testing will occur in the NeuroLab 360 office where the participant will be seated at a table with the human factors tester from the University of Galway and a clinician from NeuroLab 360. The sessions will be audio recorded so that notes from the session can be generated. All data generated will be anonymised and securely stored on a password-protected computer. For some of the sessions, the participant will be asked to stand and walk while wearing the wearable prototype.
Amount of time involved:
The testing will involve a total of 7 hours of testing over 4 sessions as follows:
Activity Month Testing
Hours
Session 1:
Wearable design concepts testing
10-Nov-22 to 10-Dec-22 1 hours
Session 2:
Smartphone App first revision engineering prototype testing
10-Apr-23 to 10-May-23 2 hours
Session 3:
Wearable first revision engineering prototype testing
10-May-23 to 10-Jun-23 2 hours
Session 4:
Wearable second revision engineering prototype and
Smartphone App second revision engineering prototype
testing
10-Aug-23 to 31-Aug-23 2 hours
Total Test Hours per participant 7 hours
Incentive:
There will be a $200 incentive provided to each participant for their participation in the testing over 4 sessions with a total participation of 7 hours.
Contact:
NeuroLab 360
Email: info@neurolab360.com
Phone: 760-704-8237
