Armed with Science | Tag Archive | National Center for Telehealth and Technology

BioZen, The Biofeedback Mobile App

Filed under Technology by jtozer on February 13, 2013 at 7:28 am {no comments}

Times Square BIOZEN ad

The Department of Defense has released a smart phone mobile application to help service members use the therapeutic benefits of biofeedback.

BioZen, a mobile app from the Defense Department’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology, known as T2, uses wireless sensors to show the user their physical level of relaxation.

It is the first portable, low-cost method for clinicians and patients to use biofeedback in and out of the clinic.

“Mastering biofeedback successfully is difficult and frustrating for many people,” said Dr. David Cooper, T2 psychologist.

“This app takes many of the large medical sensors found in a clinic and puts them in the hands of anyone with a smart phone. BioZen makes it easier for anyone to get started with biofeedback.”

BioZen shows real-time data from multiple body sensors including electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), galvanic skin response (GSR), electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), respiratory rate, and skin temperature. Each sensor sends a separate signal to the phone so users can see how their body is responding to their behavior.

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Technological Coping Tools

Filed under STEM, Technology by jtozer on August 3, 2012 at 7:32 am {no comments}

New “LifeArmor” app, developed by National Center for Telehealth & Technology, is available for smartphones.

Sure, a wrench and hammer are handy tools to keep around, but how about a “Gratitude Letter” or a “Perspective Change” tool? Doesn’t have the same ring to it I guess.

LifeArmor is designed to be a different kind of tool; one that helps service members and veterans cope with returning home and discovering a new “normal”.

For those returning from deployment with common post-deployment issues, these interactive tools available on a new mobile application from National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), a Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury center, can be essential resources for coping and building resilience.

Modeled after afterdeployment.org and available on iPhone, iPad and Android systems, the app provides information on 17 different topics where post-deployment issues can impact. Each topic includes an assessment, information about concerns related to the topic, videos of those who coped with an issue, and tools to help cope with psychological concerns and traumatic brain injury.

“The app features many of the issues that are common to service members and military families, including tips for families and friendships, life stress and anxiety, mild traumatic brain injury, anger, substance abuse and military sexual trauma,” said Dr. Julie Kinn, T2 psychologist and mobile applications lead.

The app provides interactive ways to engage users who might be hesitant about reaching out for help, as well as resources that connect them with support.

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Social Media and Suicide Prevention

Filed under Featured, Physical Sciences, STEM, Technology by jtozer on May 20, 2012 at 7:59 am {one comment}

What would you do if a Facebook friend updated that they were depressed and thinking of ending their life?

What would you do if you observed a group of individuals bullying another person on a social media site? Would your actions be the same if the person was a friend or a complete stranger?

Your answers to these questions may have important implications for how these scenarios turn out. Fortunately, there are resources in social media to help you reduce the risk for suicidal behavior and to get help.

Suicide is a serious but preventable public health problem. According to the World Health Organization, more than one million suicides occur in the world every year.

Social media, such as chat rooms, blogs, video sites like YouTube, and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, have become important ways that many people communicate and share information about a variety of topics, including suicide.

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Mobile App Helps Troops Adjust to Life After Combat

Filed under STEM, Technology by jtozer on May 8, 2012 at 7:35 am {no comments}

The Department of Defense today announced the release of a mobile application to help service members adjust to life at home after returning from combat deployments.

Positive Activity Jackpot, developed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, uses augmented reality with a smart phone’s GPS to help find nearby activities and diversions for someone used to the high tempo of combat life.

The center, known as T2, used a behavioral therapy called pleasant event scheduling as the basis for design of the application. The therapy encourages a daily schedule of enjoyable activities to improve moods and overcome depression.

“After returning from a combat deployment, service members who are used to a more structured daily schedule may have difficulty adjusting to life at home,” said Dr. Amanda Edwards Stewart, psychologist who led the development of Positive Activity Jackpot. “This can lead to difficulties with relationships, depression and other problems. “

The application, available for Android systems, has an extensive list of pre-programmed activities.

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MilitaryKidsConnect.org Builds Resilience in Military Youth [VIDEO]

Filed under Technology, Videos by Carla Voorhees on January 19, 2012 at 1:28 pm {no comments}

Dr. Kelly Blasko is a Research Psychologist and Subject Matter Expert for the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2), and the project lead for MilitaryKidsConnect.org.

Military children that experience a deployment of a parent often experience the same amount of stress as the parent or caregiver remaining at home. Even though military children often display strong resiliency skills recent studies shown there are increased levels of anxiety a child experiences when a parent is deployed, in addition to being at risk for emotional and behavioral issues at home and at school.

MilitaryKidsConnect.org is a web-based application aimed at improving child and family readiness throughout the deployment cycle. Developed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, MilitaryKidsConnect.org, enhances the resilience and coping skills of military youth, ages 6-17.

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Ten Technologies: A Brief Look at Military Evolution – Modeling and Simulation

Filed under Featured, STEM, Technology by Julie Weckerlein on November 11, 2011 at 12:07 pm {2 comments}

By Carla Voorhees,
Defense Media Activity

This is the final in a series of 10 technologies integral to the United States military since World War I.

All branches of the military rely on modeling and simulation for planning purposes, war games, training, exercises, development of new technology, and many other reasons.

Amela Sadagic, a research associate professor, demonstrates the virtual sand table for urban warfare operations training rehearsals during the MOVES 9th Annual Research Summit July 22, 2009, in Monterey, Calif. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John Fischer)

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Is It User-Friendly? This New Lab Will Find Out.

Filed under Technology by Julie Weckerlein on November 2, 2011 at 3:48 pm {3 comments}

By Dr. Amanda Stewart

National Center for Telehealth and Technology

This past year, I’ve had the pleasure to be the government lead overseeing the development and launch of the Technology Enhancement Center, a state-of-the-art usability lab here at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. T2 focuses on creating technologic solutions for Service Members around mental health and well-being, and created this lab to make sure our products are easy for them to learn and be effective in the real world.

Courtesy T2 Photos

Most people don’t know what a usability lab is or does; I most certainly didn’t when I was first involved in its development. What I’ve come to learn is that usability testing ensures that new technology makes intuitive sense to the user and isn’t frustrating to operate. In other words, testing helps make technology easy to use. A great example is when you get a new phone or new tech toy. How many of you read the manual? Most of us don’t. We want to pick it up and start using it. If it’s hard to use or doesn’t make sense, we often get frustrated and either don’t use it again, call someone for technical help, or break down and try and read the manual. It makes you wonder why everything doesn’t go through usability testing!

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Help from the Palm of Your Hand: Mobile Mental Health Support

Filed under Technology by Carla Voorhees on September 12, 2011 at 10:41 am {no comments}

This article was originally posted by Robyn Mincher, DCoE Strategic Communications, on the DCoE blog.

A smartphone is no longer used as just a way to call home. A service member or veteran can access mobile applications and websites that feature resources and programs to cope with psychological health concerns, and help one self-monitor behaviors and emotions. A service member can also receive one-on-one help over the phone with service-endorsed call centers that can put them in touch with a psychological health professional to mitigate serious concerns, like suicidal thoughts.

Crisis call centers such as the Veterans Crisis Line, Military OneSource and the Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline (800-984-8523) immediately connect those in need with psychological health care professionals.

A U.S. Army paratrooper takes a picture with his cell phone while waiting to board an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sharilyn Wells)

The U.S. Army Family, Morale and Recreation (MWR) program offers all of the resources available on its website with Mobile MWR for the iPhone. The application features the MWR video archive with videos highlighting suicide prevention. (more…)