Abstract

Cost of, and restricted access to, brain scanning (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]; positron emission tomography [PET]) limits use of imaging for dementia diagnosis in LMICs; rapid advances in mobile digital technology, alongside new knowledge about the earliest cognitive changes in dementias, could provide a solution to this problem, enabling much-needed, easily accessible, well-validated and low cost cognitive assessments for dementia. The proposed Foundation Award will catalyse a programme of work focused on development and validation of cheap, offline web and tablet cognitive assessment for dementia at Cardiff University, delivered by working in partnership with researchers from Ireland and the US (including the Institutional leads for the Global Brain Health Institute, GBHI), Cuba and China. Two major outcomes will be delivered: (1) development and piloting of novel tablet-based cognitive assessments aimed to support provision of more individualised, and accurate, dementia assessment in LMICs, thereby allowing patients to benefit from enhanced health guidance and appropriate support infrastructure; and (2) a new research network, encompassing experts from both LMIC and high-income countries (HICs), focused on the generation of novel cognitive assessment tools for dementia as an alternative to more expensive, and often unavailable, technologies, and enhancing acess to these across the globe informed by the needs of patients and clinicians in LMICs.

Aims

Two major outcomes will be delivered:

(1) development and piloting of novel tablet-based cognitive assessments aimed to support provision of more individualised, and accurate, dementia assessment in LMICs, thereby allowing patients to benefit from enhanced health guidance and appropriate support infrastructure; and

(2) a new research network, encompassing experts from both LMIC and high-income countries (HICs), focused on the generation of novel cognitive assessment tools for dementia as an alternative to more expensive, and often unavailable, technologies, and enhancing acess to these across the globe informed by the needs of patients and clinicians in LMICs.