Promoting Improved Functioning Among People Experiencing Stressful Situations

To assess acute neurocognitive function, a suite of four brief neurocognitive tasks will be employed, and the primary outcome will consist of overall performance across all four tasks as assessed jointly using a multivariate linear mixed model. These four tasks each assess an aspect of neurocognitive function essential to warfighting during times of intense stress: generalized cognitive function using the Test My Brain Digit Symbol Matching Test (measuring balanced integration scores (BIS) which combine accuracy with mean reaction time for correct responses to 'test' trials), procedural reaction using the Test My Brain Choice Reaction Time Test (measuring the mean and median reaction times for correct responses to 'test' trials, as well as through BIS values, which incorporate normalized meanRTc.), visual search and visual change detection using the Test My Brain Multiple Object Tracking Test (measuring percent correct for the proportion of total targets correctly identified).

General cognitive function will be assessed using the Test My Brain Digit Symbol Matching Test. Participants will be asked to match as many symbols and numbers as possible in 90 seconds, using a symbol-number key shown on screen. General cognitive function is assessed via balanced integration scores (BIS), which combine accuracy with mean reaction time for correct responses to 'test' trials

Procedural reaction time will be assessed using the Test My Brain Choice Reaction Time Test. In this 3-minute task, participants see a set of three arrows, where one arrow is a different color from the rest. The participant presses left or right to indicate the direction of the odd colored arrow. Reaction time is assessed via measuring the mean and median reaction times for correct responses to 'test' trials, as well as through BIS values, which incorporate normalized meanRTc.

Visuospatial processing and attention will be assessed will be performed using the Test My Brain Multiple Object Tracking Test. In this two-minute test of visuospatial processing and attention, participants have to track a set of target circles around the screen (amidst a field of distractors) that move at increasing speed with each trial. Once the circles stop moving, participants select which were targets must identify targets instead of distractors. Visuospatial processing and attention is assessed via measuring percent correct for the proportion of total targets correctly identified.

Psychomotor vigilance will be assessed via the Test My Brain Gradual Onset Continuous Performance Test. In this 1-minute task, participants monitor a stream of city and mountain images that rapidly fade from one to the next with no interstimulus interval. Participants are asked to press/touch for each city image and to withhold for each mountain image. Vigilance is assessed via measuring d-prime for identification of each city image, a signal detection-based measure that takes into account both hits and false alarms to provide an unbiased estimate of performance where higher values reflect better performance. Response inhibition is defined as the suppression of actions that are inappropriate in a given context. Response inhibition is assessed using results from the above, by measuring the number of commission errors (failure to withhold responses) where most positive scores reflect more impulsive responding.

Length of time individual spends attempting the four neurocognitive tests will be recorded until either discontinuation or completion of tests.

Individuals will be asked verbally to rate their subjective distress at each assessment timepoint on a scale from 0 (totally relaxed) to 100 (highest distress/fear/anxiety you have ever experienced).

Individuals are asked to complete the 19-item Acute Stress Disorder Scale (ASDS) self-report inventory where each item is rated on a 5-point scale (0= Not at all; 1= A little bit; 2= Moderately; 3= Quite a bit; 4= Extremely) that indexes acute stress disorder (ASD).

Individuals are asked to complete the 7-item self-report Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire where each item is rated on a 0-4 scale (0= none; 1= mild; 2= moderate; 3= severe; 4= very severe) (that assesses the severity, nature, and impact of insomnia over the past two weeks.

Individuals are asked to complete the 10-item PROMIS Global Health questionnaire where the first 9-items are rated on a 1-5 scale (1= poor; 2= fair; 3= good; 4= very good; 5= excellent) and the one remaining item is rated on a 0-10 scale (0= no pain; 10= worst pain imaginable) that measures a patient's physical, mental, and social health.

Individuals are asked to complete the 34-item SMART tool where the first 11-items are rated on a 0-10 scale (0= none; 10= severe) and the remaining 23-items are rated on a 0-10 scale (0=none; 10= a great deal) that briefly evaluates core Acute Stress Reaction (ASR) symptom domains including pain, somatic, depressive, concentration, and fatigue symptoms. Question responses will be used to create latent variables for each ASR domain at each timepoint, and ASR symptom severity between groups across timepoints will be assessed.