Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) spin-off company Gray Matter Solutions is partnering with Osler Group, a premium health and wellness organisation in Singapore, to offer a new screening tool that detects mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - the early stage before dementia - efficiently and affordably using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
People in the early stages of dementia may experience mild memory lapses or struggle with complex tasks and decision-making, but these symptoms are often subtle and do not significantly disrupt daily life, making early detection very challenging.
Traditionally, the gold standard for diagnosing MCI involves neuropsychological evaluations and imaging diagnostics such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which can cost over a thousand dollars and require several hours.
In contrast, this new AI-powered screening tool, named ReCOGnAIze which was developed at NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), uses neuroscientific games to identify early signs of cognitive impairment in just 15 minutes.
The AI-powered tool comprises four specially designed games covering clinically relevant cognitive and behavioural domains, developed from over 125,000 hours of research at LKCMedicine's Dementia Research Centre (Singapore).
It is expected to have global relevance, particularly in Asia where an estimated 250 million people with chronic vascular diseases such as those with hypertension (commonly known as high blood pressure), are at risk of developing MCI.
