NTU launches new AI-powered screening tool to detect pre-dementia in 15 minutes

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SINGAPORE – Mild cognitive impairment, or pre-dementia, affects as much as 12.5 per cent of Singapore’s population, but diagnosing the condition can be costly and time-consuming.

A new screening tool powered by artificial intelligence promises to make the process more efficient and affordable, identifying early signs of cognitive impairment within just 15 minutes.

It was officially launched on Feb 4, following three years of research and development. 

Developed by the Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), ReCognAIze uses four specially designed neuroscientific games to assess mental skills such as executive function and working memory.

Powered by a proprietary algorithm, these games require users to do a series of tasks which include selecting the correct items after memorising a grocery list, as well as choosing the correct combination of notes and coins to pay a bill.

Early clinical trials showed the tool, which can run as an app on a tablet, is almost 90 per cent accurate in detecting mild cognitive impairment.

ReCognAIze was developed by a team led by Associate Professor Nagaendran Kandiah, director of the Dementia Research Centre (Singapore), otherwise known as DRCS, a centre under LKCMedicine.

Dementia is an umbrella term for neurological conditions that lead to a decline in cognitive function, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

An estimated 86,000 were living with dementia in Singapore in 2021 – a figure which is expected to grow to more than 150,000 by 2030 as the Republic’s population ages.

“We know that dementia is a really big problem, and we don’t want people to get to that stage, basically,” said Mr Adnan.

Prof Kandiah said that early identification of mild cognitive impairment could allow patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes to stave off dementia and help reverse the trend.

He added that up to 45 per cent of dementia cases could potentially be delayed or reduced, citing findings from the August 2024 report of the Lancet Commission on Dementia.

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