9 April 1999
The Brain Test
The Brain Test is a simple way of assessing BRadykinesia, Akinesia and
INcoordination. Its major advantage is that it uses a standard "101" key
keyboard - expensive, complex, customised devices are
not needed! It is compact (The installation file is about 120K).
How It works
You will need only:
- A PC compatible (preferably 386 or above) with a 101 key keyboard and
colour screen, running MS DOS or Windows, with a little spare memory
(say a few hundred kilobytes);
- The brain test software (below);
- Two small red stickers;
- Time.
Put the two red stickers on the "S" and ";" (semicolon) keys of the
keyboard, run the Brain Test software, and ask the subject to repetitively
depress the S and semicolon keys, alternating between the two.
The software will report on the number of errors (missed keys etc) and
other performance indices.
Download your copy
To download your copy, click
HERE. If this fails you can download the file by file transfer protocol
(FTP) at:
ftp://www.anaesthetist.com/pub/brain303.exe
How to install the Program
- Decide on your source drive (eg the stiffy drive A:) and destination
drive (eg the hard disk C:).
Below we assume that the source is A:
and the destination is C: but you may use others.
- Download the file BRAIN303.EXE as above, copy it to a "stiffy"
and insert the stiffy into the A:
- Get into DOS (In Windows 95/98, click on Start | Programs | MS DOS Prompt)
- Type in
and press the Enter key.
- Run the self-extracting archive BRAIN303.EXE by typing
and pressing Enter:
- Finally, type in
to install from the A: to the C: drive.
DO NOT type a colon after
the A or the C, or the installation program will curse you mildly!
Similarly, to install from the B: to the D: drive, you would type in
Cost
The program is provided at no cost. You use it at your own risk - all software is inherently
unreliable, but we have tried to make it as user-friendly and crash-proof
as we can. If you are so grateful for the program that you want to cover
us in cash, rather send the money to your nearest branch of e.g. the Multiple Sclerosis Society,
which does great work.
Upgrades
We're still playing with ideas to improve this simple program.
When we trust Window$ a bit
more (and are really sharp at writing VXDs) we'll make a bulky Windoze version
with featuritis.