Member Article

Northumbria University develops software to measure brain power

A new commercial software tool to measure cognitive function has been created by psychologists at Northumbria University.

The software was created by academics Dr Crystal Haskell and Professor David Kennedy, and has already been used by the university to research the effects of sleep deprivation, sage and red wine on brain performance.

The Computerised Mental Performance Assessment (Compass) software can perform a number of cognitive tasks, which can be designed to accommodate the unique needs of researchers on higher education and pharmaceutical companies.

Professor Kennedy, Director of the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Centre said: “Compass pulls together everything that’s currently available in the market but with vastly greater capabilities and at a lower price.”

Dr Haskell, associate director of the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Centre also added: “One of the great things about Compass is the flexibility of the system, allowing the user to have full control over the design of their research, including customising tasks to suit their own needs.”

After three years of research, Compass is now available for other institutions to purchase, and has already been used successfully in Australia and New Zealand.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .