# Web-based Visual and Cognitive Screening Battery for Rural OEF/OIF/OND Veterans

> **NIH VA IK2** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2022 · —

## Abstract

This proposal aims to develop a novel web-based screening battery to test visual and cognitive functioning.
Incorporating five tasks that test contrast sensitivity, visual processing speed, attention, executive functioning,
and memory, the proposed battery will 1) address several important knowledge gaps regarding visual and
cognitive functioning in OEF/OIF/OND Veterans, including covariation in deficits across the visual and
cognitive domains and potential geographical disparities and 2) provide a cost-effective approach to screen
Veterans in rural regions of the United States, improving healthcare services for this under-served population.
 The training portion of this proposal will also facilitate the applicant’s long-term career goal of becoming
a full-time fully funded independent investigator at the VA, utilizing basic science research in the fields of vision
science and neuropsychology and translating these findings into novel screening methods that can be
implemented within telemedicine to improve healthcare access for all Veterans, both in rural and urban regions.
The training aims include: 1) training in state of the art visual function and cognitive psychometric assessments,
and services and implementation research 2) training in neuropsychology to understand how visual and
cognitive deficits relate to OEF/OIF/OND Veteran’s mental and physical health issues , 3) Increasing the
candidate’s proficiency in state-of-the-art web-based programming techniques, and 4) allowing the candidate
to progress to an independent investigator status through successfully competing for merit funding through the
VA or other non-VA funding opportunities (i.e., NIH).
DESIGN & METHOD: The first phase of the proposal (Aim 1) involves developing and hosting the screening
battery on the web-based cognitive testing platform TestMyBrain where normative data will be collected from
over 15,000 U.S. volunteers (~50,000 worldwide) along with the WHODAS survey to asses functional disability
across six domains and demographic questions assessing current military or veteran status and access to
healthcare services. In the second phase of the proposal (Aim 2) we will recruit and test 120 OEF/OIF/OND
Veterans from the VA Boston community who will make up three groups: Veterans with visual deficit, Veterans
with cognitive deficits, and a control group of Veterans. These participants will complete the battery four times
over two months, twice in our laboratory and twice in their own homes. Data from the proposed tests and other
neuropsychological measures will be used to assess the reliability and validity of the screening measures.
Finally, geographical disparities analyses between rural and urban participants and Veteran vs. civilian
participants will be completed on this dataset for preliminary needs assessment (Aim 3).
OBJECTIVES: Aim 1: Develop a web-based visual and cognitive testing software program and determine
normative age-based values. Hypothesis 1a: Lifespan tre...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10311053
- **Project number:** 5IK2RX002268-05
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Francesca Cowden Fortenbaugh
- **Activity code:** IK2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-12-01 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10311053

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10311053, Web-based Visual and Cognitive Screening Battery for Rural OEF/OIF/OND Veterans (5IK2RX002268-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10311053. Licensed CC0.

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