Veterans use virtual reality and AI technology to see previous head injuries

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Veterans from across the region completed several electronic surveys for the Veterans’ Suicide Prevention Project.

Nearly 100 military veterans completed the surveys for the project. Arkansas State University’s Masters of Athletic Training Program hosted a two-day surveying event at the Beck Center for Veterans on Friday, Feb.16, and Saturday, Feb. 17.

Director of Research Dr. Scott Bruce said the project helps identify predictors of mental health and suicide ideation in military veterans.

“The only way we can help people is if we know about what the problems are,” Bruce said. “And we don’t know what the problems are that they’re facing.”

Bruce said, “22 veterans commit suicide every day in the United States.”

He said he and his students are collecting data that will help researchers understand how to get that number down. They used advanced technology to see if a person had any previous head injuries.

“We’re using virtual reality and looking at their ability to receive to a queue, and then respond accordingly to that queue,” Bruce said.

Bruce said if a person had a concussion, their reaction times would be slower.

Jasmine Espinoza and Emily Clark are first- and second-year students in the program. They performed the VR survey on themselves and K8 News Reporter Maddie Sexton. Espinoza said test subjects must focus extremely hard for the A.I. to do its job.

“The VR is really sensitive, so your hands have to be in the proper position to get that focus,” Espinoza said.

Veterans were compensated $25 for completing the electronic surveys and $25 for completing biomarker tests.

The data gathered will not be shared with outside organizations or government entities. Data will only be shared with the Research Team and the Institutional Review Board. Data will be reported as it relates to the whole group. No individual data will be shared.

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