New smart technology has been developed to help over one million people living with brain injuries in the UK.
A research team at Brain In Hand developed the app to help people living with acquired damage to the brain, both traumatic and non-traumatic, and it is now being tested by a research team at the University of Nottingham.
Brain In Hand was originally designed for people living with autism but is now being expanded to incorporate other acquired brain conditions as well.
The web-based software helps patients to created structured daily routine for tasks or problem situations.
Features include a diary and notes for difficult to remember everyday tasks, instant access to pre-planned coping strategies, a monitor to track anxiety levels and a red button for contacting emergency services.
It aims to give users a better quality of live, better symptom management and greater independence to reduce strain placed on the primary caregiver.
As well as reducing the cost of these patients to burdened NHS resources by eventually removing the need for daily clinical support.
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Professor Roshan dasNair explained: “What is key for us is that the technology is easily accessible and will improve the independence and quality of life for people with brain injuries.”
Long-term negative symptoms of brain injury include severe anxiety, depression and anger and traumatic or non-traumatic brain damage is the leading cause of death and disability in young adults.
The research team are currently looking for potential candidates between 18 and 65 years old to test out potential updates to the software, which can be used on computers, smartphones or tablet devices.
Nominees must be able to use a smart phone and have suffered a stroke or another traumatic life-changing illness that require daily assistance and limits their functional independence.
The project is funded by Brain In Hand, the Medical Research Council Proximity to Discovery fund and a Hermes Fellowship.