Activities Explained: Nature Path

1. Navigate to https://activity.neurofit.ca/
2. Select "Nature Path".

3. You will need to memorize the colour, pattern, and sequence order for this task. Click "Start" to begin the activity once you have done this.

4. Start by searching for and selecting the first object in the sequence.

5. Then continue to the next in the sequence. If you are incorrect at any point, you can re-trace your steps and try again.

6. Once you arrive at the end, you will need to travel back in the opposite direction but can click the Hints to get a brief reminder of the colour, pattern and sequence.

7. Click the sign to travel back.

8. Follow the pattern in the opposite direction.

9. Click the right click button on your mouse to get a helpful hint during your activity of where you are and where you need to go in your path.

10. When you complete the activity, you will be able to see some general metrics on how you performed as well as the option to restart or continue to the main menu.

After each session, the Activity Stats screen displays performance metrics including accuracy, time to complete, and hint usage. The key indicators to track are: whether the client completed both the forward and return legs, how many hints were used and at which point in the sequence, and whether errors clustered on the forward leg (encoding), mid-sequence (attention), or on the return trip (mental reversal).

Track these across sessions rather than relying on a single result. A client who completes the return leg with one hint in session one but without any hints by session six has made a meaningful, documentable gain — even if their total time hasn't changed.

Post-Stroke Working memory and attentional deficits are common after stroke. Nature Path targets both simultaneously in a structured, repeatable format. Performance on the return leg (which requires active mental reversal, not just recall) is particularly sensitive to executive function impairment. Use hint reliance as a proxy for cueing dependency when planning discharge or home program recommendations.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI / TBI) Multi-step sequencing and self-monitoring are frequently impaired following TBI. The built-in self-correction mechanic — where the client can retrace incorrect steps without penalty — directly supports error detection and recovery. Note whether the client self-corrects independently or requires verbal cuing, and document this separately from accuracy.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) The nature-themed environment is visually calm and structured, which supports sustained attention in clients who may be sensitive to sensory overload. The rule-based, predictable format is often well-tolerated. Cognitive flexibility is exercised on the return leg — tracking performance on that leg across sessions can reflect growth in set-shifting and task adaptation.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) The forward-then-reverse sequencing structure is a meaningful challenge for clients in early cognitive decline. Hint reliance on the return leg (without hints) can serve as an observational marker for working memory and reversal difficulty. A pattern of declining performance over weeks — rather than a single session — is the more clinically meaningful signal.

Orient before clicking Start. Draw the client's attention to the colour, pattern, and sequence they need to memorize before the activity begins. Clients who start without encoding this information will generate misleading errors that reflect inattention to instruction rather than working memory capacity.

Use hint dependency as a grading lever. For clients earlier in recovery, unlimited hint use is appropriate — the goal is task completion and building confidence. For more capable clients, set a specific goal around completing the return leg without the Hints button. Track whether hint reliance decreases across sessions as a marker of internalization.

Distinguish forward and return leg performance. The forward leg primarily tests encoding and sequential recall. The return leg tests mental reversal and cognitive flexibility. A client who completes the forward leg accurately but struggles on the return may have specific difficulty with reversal rather than memory encoding — worth noting in documentation.

For home programs: remind the client that right-clicking at any point shows their current position and next target, and that the Hints button at the turnaround point gives a reminder of the sequence. Encourage them to try the return leg without hints before using them, even if they're not confident.