Science & sources
The peer-reviewed science behind the measures Chronic Trace uses.
Chronic Trace is a wellness self-tracking tool, not a medical device. It does not diagnose any condition. The references below describe the general science of the cognitive and motor tasks the app administers; they are background on those measures in the published literature and are not a validation of Chronic Trace itself. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your health.
Each link opens the source record on PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's index of biomedical literature.
Eye tracking (saccades, oculomotor control)
Chronic Trace measures how the eyes move toward and away from targets. The anti-saccade paradigm and rapid visual scanning have a long literature as sensitive indices of attention and oculomotor control.
- Hallett PE (1978). Primary and secondary saccades to goals defined by instructions. Vision Research.
- Galetta KM, et al. (2011). The King-Devick test and sports-related concussion: study of a rapid visual screening tool in a collegiate cohort. Journal of the Neurological Sciences.
Balance (postural sway)
The balance capture estimates postural stability from body position over time. Quiet-stance postural control is a standard, well-studied measure of sensorimotor function.
- Riemann BL, Guskiewicz KM (2000). Effects of mild head injury on postural stability as measured through clinical balance testing. Journal of Athletic Training.
- Guskiewicz KM (2011). Balance assessment in the management of sport-related concussion. Clinics in Sports Medicine.
Cognitive — Trail Making Test
The connect-the-targets task is a touch adaptation of the Trail Making Test, one of the most widely used measures of processing speed and visual scanning, with established normative data.
- Reitan RM (1958). Validity of the Trail Making Test as an indicator of organic brain damage. Perceptual and Motor Skills.
- Tombaugh TN (2004). Trail Making Test A and B: normative data stratified by age and education. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology.
Cognitive — Stroop color-word task
The color-word task measures inhibitory control: the interference effect first described by Stroop is one of the most replicated findings in experimental psychology.
- Stroop JR (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology.
- Scarpina F, Tagini S (2017). The Stroop Color and Word Test. Frontiers in Psychology.
Reaction time
The reaction-time trial measures how quickly a person responds to a visual cue. Simple reaction time is a long-standing index of processing speed and has been studied as a clinically measurable signal.
- Eckner JT, Kutcher JS, Richardson JK (2010). Pilot evaluation of a novel clinical test of reaction time in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players. Journal of Athletic Training.
- Eckner JT, et al. (2014). Effect of sport-related concussion on clinically measured simple reaction time. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Within-person baselines and serial comparison
Chronic Trace compares each capture to the same person’s own earlier readings rather than to a population average. Using an individual as their own reference, and repeating measures over time, is a well-established principle in cognitive and performance assessment.
- Echemendia RJ, et al. (2017). The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (SCAT5). British Journal of Sports Medicine.
This page is provided for transparency about the science behind the app's measures. It is not medical advice. Chronic Trace, Inc.