A team of US researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that may help diagnose cognitive deficits and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in older persons.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be an early predictor of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, therefore recognising persons with cognitive difficulties early on may lead to more effective interventions and outcomes.
However, diagnosing MCI can be a lengthy and challenging process, particularly in rural locations where access to qualified neuropsychologists is restricted.
Researchers at the University of Missouri developed a portable device that includes a depth camera, a force plate, and an interface board. The study demonstrated that it can effectively measure many elements of motor function.
The researchers evaluated older persons, some of whom had MCI, and asked them to perform three tasks: stand still, walk, and stand up from a bench.
Participants were required to do these exercises while simultaneously counting backward in seven-minute intervals.
Based on their performance, as collected by the new portable device, the data was loaded into a machine learning model (a sort of artificial intelligence) that correctly identified 83% of participants in the trial with MCI.
“The areas of the brain involved in cognitive impairment overlap with areas of the brain involved in motor function, so when one is diminished, the other is impacted as well,” said Trent Guess, an associate professor in the College of Health Sciences at the university.
“These can be very subtle differences in motor function related to balance and walking that our new device is able to detect but would go unnoticed through observation,” says Guess.
Given that MCI is a precursor to Alzheimer’s and dementia, the portable gadget has the potential to aid millions of older folks as the worldwide Alzheimer’s patient population grows.
“This portable system has many other applications, too, including looking at those with concussions, sports rehabilitation, ALS and Parkinson’s disease, knee replacements and hip replacements,” according to Guess.
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