Enabling better
Cognitive Intervention
for Professionals
Laura Fay, CEO
HAPPYneuron, Inc.

“GAMES
FOR
HEALTH”
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 2

Agenda
 Introduction to Cognitive Intervention
 How it’s done today?
 Issues with today’s approach
 Key Success Factors
 The Journey
 Patient Cases
 Introducing HAPPYneuron PRO
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 3

Interventions
 Cognitive Training-
 Who: healthy individuals with no brain impairments
 Goal: improve their neuron network performance.
 Cognitive Remediation -
 Who: individuals with impaired cognitive abilities as a result of
general conditions – psychiatric, post chemotherapy, MCI, etc.
 Goal: neural network stimulation for improved cognition and
skills development.
 Cognitive Rehabilitation -
 Who: Individuals with neurologic damage from conditions like
TBI, Stroke, Alzheimer’s, etc.
 Goal: neural-network regeneration
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 4

Brain Plasticity
 The adult brain is not fixed
 New neural pathway creation
 Neural network strengthening
 Brain reserve* enhancement
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 5

Cognitive Rem/Rehab Programs
 Medical Professionals  Conditions
 Cognitive  Schizophrenia
Psychologists  Depression
 Neurologists  Mild Cognitive
 Neuro-psychologists Impairment (MCI)
 Psychiatrists  Traumatic Brain Injury
 Occupational  Stroke
Therapists  Alzheimer’s Disease
 Language Therapists  PTSD
 Nurse Managers  ADD/ADHD
 Etc.  Chemo Fog
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 6

Cog Rem/Rehab today…
 Pencil & paper exercises
 Libraries of children’s
educational CD-ROM
software
 Mostly ’80s and ‘90s era
computer interaction
methods
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 7

Issues with today’s
approach

Issues with today’s approach
 The Games/Exercises
 The Supporting Environment
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 9

Low engagement effects
compliance
O X
X
X
X
O O
O
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 10

Patient Dignity
“But these are for kids. I am not stupid !” (cf)
“Colorful games won’t make me happy ?” (d)
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 11

Audience/Conditions
not factored
Choose Your Challenge Level
Easy
Normal
Bad for
Hard Remediation
Patients
Insane!
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 12

Performance Feedback?
You Pass WELL DONE!! 
You Fail !! Let’s try again 
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 13

Issues with today’s approach
 The Games/Exercises
 The Supporting Environment
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 14

High Cost
 Some
programs not
covered by
insurance
 Low therapist
to patient ratio
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 15

Manual Case Management
Manual…
 Configurations
 Tracking
Results in…
 Errors
 Confidentiality
 Time
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 16

Installation & Maintenance
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 17

Issues with today’s approach
 The Games/Exercises
 Low engagement and interest with current
solutions
 Adult acceptance of kids games
 Audience/Conditions not factored
 Poor performance feedback messaging
 The Supporting Environment
 High cost of treatment delivery
 Manual performance monitoring
 Software installation and maintenance issues
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 18

Success Factors

The Destination - Games
 Developed with target audience in mind
 Continued, relentless positive
reinforcement
 Engaging, non childish interactions
 Cost effective & rapid configurability
 Educational bridging to daily life activities
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 20

The Destination –
Environment
 Online delivers…
 Reduces the Information Technology (IT) costs
 Improved case management
 Facilitates distance therapy protocols
 Higher patient to therapist ratio
 Enables rapid deployment of product changes
 Improved patient confidentiality and data security
 Better research tools
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 21

From here  there
The Givens:
 Improved patient engagement
 Superior case management
 Personalization
 Performance monitoring
The Adjustments:
 Offline  Online
 Work style / methodology shifts
 Increased patient to clinician ratios
 Introducing supplemental distance therapy protocols
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 22

HAPPYneuron PRO
A brief Introduction
First previewed at the Cognitive Remediation Conference in NYC
June 5th, 2009

Product Line
HAPPYneuron HAPPYneuron PRO
Target Healthy Adults, Depression/ TBI / Stroke /
Children & Schizophrenia / Alzheimer’s
Seniors MCI
Function Stimulation / Remediation Rehabilitation
Training
Where At Home Doctor’s Office / Doctor’s Office /
At Home At Home
How Self Service Guided Guided
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Patient View
Happy Neuron PRO Exercises
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 25

Customize and
Prescribe
HAPPYneuron PRO
Cognitive Patient performs the
Rem / Rehab assigned cognitive
stimulation activities at
Program Medical office or at Home
Compliance &
Performance
Review
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 26

Independent Researchers
Psychiatry, Neurology, Geriatrics, Occupational Rehab
 Johnny Orr Memory Center, IA
 Lyon Hospital, France
 Queens University, Toronto, Canada
 Hartford Hospital, CT
 Veteran’s Administration, PA
 Pierre&Marie Curie Hospital, Paris France
 Memory Training Center of America, NJ
 Columbia University, NY
 UCLA, CA
 Lausanne Hospital, Switzerland
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 27

Patient Progress
With Interactive Games for
Cognitive Remediation…

Life Changing Rehab
Chris Bowie, PhD
Joe – Severe Depression Research Professor
Queens University,
Toronto,
Canada
1 year progression
Energize  Motivation
Train  Cognitive Remediation
Practice  (higher order) Skills Training
Generalize  Bridge to Daily Activities
Apply  Vocational Services and
Case Management
Progress  Employment!
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 29

Games make the start…
Dona Bellucci, PhD
Clinical Instructor,
Clementine @ Essex County Hospital, New Jersey Department of
Psychiatry,
UMDNJ-Robert
 Before… Wood Johnson
 Hospitalized 5 years with schizophrenia Medical
 Minimal human interaction
 Staff not optimistic about remediation possibilities
 Then…
 “Come to the lab with me to try a game or two...”
 After 5 months…
 Goes to ‘work’ each day at the computer lab
 Takes outdoor exercise
 ‘Chats’ with all the staff
 Starting more progressive therapies
GAMES FOR HEALTH, BOSTON. Jun 11-12, 2009 30

Thank You
Laura Fay, CEO
HAPPYneuron, Inc.
+650-776-4352
Laura.Fay @ Happy-Neuron.com