Inexpensive Screening Tool for Mild Cogntive Impairment Available
Researchers from Georgia Tech and Emory University collaborated to create a portable and inexpensive device to screen patients for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The new tool was described in a press release from Georgia Tech.
The DETECT tool requires that patients complete a ten minute test which assesses patient’s memory and reaction time. The test administered to patients is a modification of a pen and paper test that is used to evaluate cognitive functioning. Drawbacks of the paper-based test include that it requires one to two hours to complete and must be administered by a trained individual.
The portable test device has patients observe a series of auditory and visual stimuli, including words and pictures. These assess cognitive abilities, while considering patient age. The tool notes reaction time and memory capabilities. The incorporated software further tracks cognitive capability over time as patients are tested on multiple occasions.
Components of the device include an LCD display with a dedicated onboard computer. Headphones to reduce outside distractions are another component of DETECT, as well as an input device for the controller. The headphones are an additional beneficial feature over the traditional test method, as they mitigate potential distractions during test administration.
The neurologic facets assessed with the DETECT tool are often impaired among patients with Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms begin to manifect. These differences are noted even among patients who are at the earliest stages of disease, exhibiting only MCI.
Researchers at Emory are currently testing the device with a trial that will include 400 patients. Initial data collected from screenings conducted with the first 100 patients note that the test is as effective in assessing cognition as the pen and paper test upon which it was based. Plans to commercialize the device before the end of 2008 are underway.
Device creators site the opportunity for general practitioners to use the device in the general medicine setting as a screening tool. Creators suppose that the test could be used to screen patients annually to assess for the presence of cognitive decline, comparing new test results to those obtained previously.
January 24, 2008 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Diagnostic, Psychiatry & Neurology