# A Technology-Based Novel Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program for Adults with and without Cognitive Impairments. Develop the next generation software solution.

> **NIH NIH R44** · I-FUNCTION, INC. · 2021 · $757,841

## Abstract

People with cognitive impairments such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), often experience
difficulty performing everyday routine activities. Further, normative age-related changes in
cognition often lead to deficits on previously learned skills and impede new learning such as
learning of new technology systems. This is of great concern, given population aging, the
increasing number of older adults with cognitive impairments, and the continual deployment of
new technologies in everyday contexts. The proposed SBIR Phase II study will refine and further
evaluate a novel integrated computer-based functional skills assessment and training (CFSAT)
program that provides training on everyday tasks critical to independent living (e.g., financial and
medication management). The program tasks are veridical representations of everyday activities
and real world systems. The training is tailored to the individual via the assessment component.
Phase I of the study will involve further refinement and usability testing of the program. Phase II
will involve a randomized trial with 40 non-impaired older adults (NC) and 120 adults with MCI.
MCI participants will be randomly assigned to the CFSAT condition, the CFSAT combined with a
computer-based cognitive training (CCT) condition, or an active CCT control condition. The NC
participants will be assigned to the CFSAT condition. Important aims of the study are to examine
near and far transfer of training and dosing. Our design is efficient and will allow us to: gather data
for both impaired and non-impaired adults on transfer and dosing; further examine the benefits of
direct functional skill training relative to CCT on functional skills (FS) for those with MCI; and
determine if CCT provides a priming effect that enhances the benefits of the CFSAT program for
those with MCI. Our primary outcome measures include objective measures of functional abilities,
and ecological momentary assessment of real-world performance collected from self and
informant reports in the training task domains. Secondary outcomes include measures of self-
efficacy, quality of life and the acceptability and usability of the CFSAT program. We will also
gather data on maintenance of training gains, the need for booster training, and adherence to
home-based training. The overall objective of the proposed Phase II study is to develop an
integrated commercially available technology-based functional skills assessment and training
program that can be deployed on a variety of technology platforms and used in a variety of
settings (e.g., clinical settings, home environments) with diverse adult populations. Our long-term
goal is to develop a commercially successful product that can help prevent and treat functional
declines and maintain the cognitive health and functional independence of older adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10137168
- **Project number:** 5R44AG057238-04
- **Recipient organization:** I-FUNCTION, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter Kallestrup
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $757,841
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-15 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10137168

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10137168, A Technology-Based Novel Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program for Adults with and without Cognitive Impairments. Develop the next generation software solution. (5R44AG057238-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10137168. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*