Branden Otte’s student research is not only helpful for understanding the health of Albertans, but also earned him some cash. The Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology student spent 14 paid weeks this summer analyzing spatial working memory deficits in people who have suffered strokes as part of the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentships (SRS) program at MacEwan, where he also earned a cash prize for his first-place presentation.
Otte worked with Dr. Christopher Striemer for his honours thesis, and when the prof suggested applying for the SRS and analyzing stroke patient data, Otte was immediately interested. The two collaborated with researchers at Queen’s University and the University of Calgary to gather the data necessary for the study.
“Spatial neglect is essentially a condition where individuals have difficulty paying attention to things on the left side of space following damage to the right side of the brain,” explains Otte. “If you approach a patient with neglect from their left side, they might not even acknowledge your presence in severe cases, but if you move to the person's right side, they'll become aware of your presence.”
Otte’s research consisted of a retrospective analysis, where he compared existing data from a clinical dataset in an effort to find a link between neglect and difficulties with spatial working memory – the ability to keep track of where things are in one’s environment. Using the Behavioural Inattention Test, as well as a few spatial working memory tests, he analyzed patterns and trends in patients who had neglect following strokes.
“We found that patients with neglect had significantly worse spatial working memory abilities than patients without neglect. We also found that there's a significant association between Behavioural Inattention Test scores and spatial working memory task scores – those with more severe neglect consistently have significantly worse spatial working memory abilities,” Otte explains. “We also found that spatial working memory abilities shortly following a stroke could significantly predict the severity of neglect over time throughout multiple post-tests.”
By the time he finished his SRS, Otte was no stranger to presenting his research in front of experts. He’s presented at Student Research Day three times, defended his honours thesis, and even presented at national conferences for the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour & Cognitive Science, and the Canadian Action and Perception Network.
Otte aims to continue his award-winning research during his final year at MacEwan, mapping out the brain to uncover exactly which areas are most likely to cause those deficits when damaged. In the future, he plans to continue researching traumatic brain injuries as he earns his PhD, potentially focusing on concussions in athletes.
To learn more about the Summer Research Studentships program for 2025, or for information on other research opportunities for students, head to the Office of Research Services website.