Page 24 - JSOM Fall 2023

hurdles to overcome in developing this test. Broadly speaking, been used previously, although DDM calculations are not of-
the issues include stimulus creation, software development, ten performed on them as the DDM calculations in a single-
and basic science. response paradigm are a new development. Moreover, dynamic
inhibitory control tasks should be further explored for their
Stimulus creation is the first and most easily overcome hurdle. change elements and application to operational tasks. For ex-
Specifically, the threat assessment task will require a stimu- ample, dynamic tasks with change trials from no-go to go are
lus creation step to align the test with rules of engagement more rare, yet represent a realistic operational concern of a
for a given unit. This burden will need to be supported by terrorist who presents as non-hostile initially and then draws
training instructors within different commands to ensure the a weapon. Developing optimal DDM models in an inhibitory
cognitive assessment aligns with training doctrine. There could control task is one theoretical concern, which has numerous
be some wider development, and naturally, there will be some practical issues as well in identifying the decision-making pa-
cross-functionality of the stimulus set across multiple units. rameters most important to Special Operations.
Still, instructors will need to provide feedback during stimulus
creation to ensure that the operationally relevant threat assess- Summary
ment task depicts an actual threat assessment made by Special
Operations personnel. Cognitive assessments represent a broad category of tasks,
including tests to identify dementia and mild cognitive im-
Software development is the next step, and it will require some pairment. As such, many excellent cognitive tests may be
significant support. The software concerns include both con- appropriate for their intended use, but inappropriate when ap-
ducting the test and analyzing results. For software, there are plied to a Special Operations population. Here, the discussion
many programs that can conduct experimental stimulus pre- explored the development of a Special Operations cognitive
sentation with millisecond-accurate timing, such as MATLAB assessment by first identifying the three criteria most import-
(Mathworks, https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab. ant to a task for this purpose. These three criteria included
html). 44,45 The logistical burden can become expensive here as (1) operational relevance, to ensure both that the task would
requisite software may incur a significant cost. Different soft- apply to Special Operations and be received better by Special
ware packages could be used, although whatever the specific Operations personnel; (2) optimization, to avoid ceiling effects
program, task development represents a programming issue and ensure that assessments support cognitive enhancement as
that could require continued technical support. This latter well as detecting cognitive impairments; and (3) speed, to en-
point is especially true if the task is to be modified for dif- sure the logistical requirements to conduct these tests impose
ferent purposes. Another software concern involves the DDM a minimal burden on personnel. The best task to meet these
calculations. These parameters have been calculated in various criteria would be a dynamic threat assessment task supported
formats for decades, and there are multiple packages available by DDM calculations. This method would provide more in-
to ease the programming and calculation burden. 42,43 However, formation about decision-making than other cognitive tests,
these programs have a significant learning curve to use. De- provide multiple avenues for targeted cognitive enhancement
veloping software with a simpler interface should be a science interventions, implicitly include an inhibitory control assess-
and technology goal for USSOCOM. Hardware is another ment, and link the entire process to operational performance.
issue that can lead to complications such as noise in the re- Ultimately, these recommendations would create a cognitive
sponse times or signal access if the hardware requires Wi-Fi in assessment better suited to Special Operations uses than any
command spaces. Still, the intended end state should be a stim- currently applied in practice.
ulus presentation solution that is user-friendly with analytical
software and standalone hardware to support automatically Disclosure
calculated DDM parameters. The authors declare no financial or non-financial conflicts of
interest.
The final development issue is scientific. Several ideas presented
here are not new as DDM calculations have been applied to
shoot/don’t-shoot scenarios previously, and inhibitory control Disclaimer

paradigms are well studied. 17,27,28 Even so, several applications The authors are Military Servicemembers or employee of the
involve novel components that will require further basic science U.S. Government. This work was prepared as part of our offi-
exploration to optimize. Trial counts and reliability are one ap- cial duties. Title 17, U.S.C. §105 provides that copyright pro-
plied science concern. Fewer trials will be easier to support as tection under this title is not available for any work of the U.S.
the task will require less time, but it is unclear in this context Government. Title 17, U.S.C. §101 defines a U.S. Government
what the optimal trade-off should be regarding trial counts and work as work prepared by a military Servicemember or em-
reliability of DDM parameters in a shooting assessment. An- ployee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official
other concern is the response modality. The task is intended to duties. The views expressed in this article are those of the au-
replicate the threat assessment in a shoot/don’t-shoot situation, thors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or posi-
yet the button-press does not fully integrate the sensorimotor tion of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense,
issues of a shooting situation. This link makes several assump- nor the U.S. Government.
tions that would be better deployed in a shooting simulator
than a computer-based task. Further study is needed to explore References
the link between threat assessments made in a computer-based 1. USSOCOM. About Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF).
task and threat assessments made within a shooting simulation. https://www.socom.mil/POTFF/Pages/About-POTFF.aspx. Accessed
27 March 2023.
2. Meyers JE, Vincent AS. Automated neuropsychological assessment
Another theoretical link involves exploring DDM calculations metrics (v4) military battery: military normative data. Mil Med.
within a dynamic inhibitory control task. Dynamic tasks have 2020;185(9–10):e1706–e1721.

22 | JSOM Volume 22, Edition 3 / Fall 2023