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Abstract

Scientists in the Experimental Psychology Department study patients with a variety of motor difficulties, including apraxia - a condition usually following stroke which involves lack of control of a patient over their hands or fingers. Diagnosis and rehabilitation are traditionally carried out by Occupational Therapists. In recent years, computer-based tests have been developed in order to remove the human subjectivity from the diagnosis, and in order to enable the patient to carry out a rehabilitation programme at home. One such test involves users drawing simple figures on a tablet, and these figures being scored according to a variety of criteria. Data has already been gathered from 200 or so controls, and is being analysed for a range of parameters in order to assess what a neurotypical person could achieve when drawing such simple figures. Further machine learning analysis could help classify such data into different categories. Algorithms are also needed in order to classify data from stroke patients, and to assess the degree of severity of their apraxia.

This project was originally co-supervised by Prof Glyn Humphreys, Watts Professor of Experimental Psychology. Due to Glyn's untimely death a new co-supervisor needs to be found in the Experimental Psychology Department. It is unrealistic to assume this project can run in the summer of 2016.