Digital brain health platform offers rapid, accurate assessment of dementia risk
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A team of researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have developed an online platform of metrics designed to assess a patient’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological issues.
According to a university release, the Brain Health Platform is an advanced series of tests that determine the risk for dementia by combining three measures — a Resilience Index (RI), a Vulnerability Index (VI) and a Number-Symbol Coding Task (NSCT). When combined, the results help assess the risk for developing AD and other related conditions.
“The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that roughly four out of 10 older adults will eventually develop Alzheimer’s disease,” James E. Galvin, MD, MPH, professor of neurology and director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the university, said during a virtual press conference where results of the study, recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, were revealed. “But we were interested in asking: What about the other six out of 10 that do not? Why don’t they develop disease?”
Galvin acknowledged it can be difficult to determine brain health status and risk for cognitive impairment, particularly at an initial evaluation, which prompted the platform’s creation.
The Brain Health Platform is intended to “take a snapshot” of a patient’s brain health, the release stated, and provide an overview of a patient’s risk based on modifiable factors, such as physical activity and nutrition; nonmodifiable factors, including gender and medical history; and current cognitive performance.
In a cross-sectional study, Galvin and colleagues evaluated 230 participants (71 controls, 71 with mild cognitive impairment, 88 with AD and related disorders). Researchers determined VI and RI scores from physical assessments, lifestyle questionnaires, demographics, medical history and neuropsychological examination, including the NSCT.
Results showed that participants with abnormal test scores were 95.7% likely to be impaired, with a misclassification rate of 9.7%. The platform outperformed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment with a high level of accuracy (area under the curve = 0.923 ± 0.053).
Galvin noted that he has been working on the project for approximately 25 years, fueled by his grandfather’s dementia diagnosis when Galvin was in high school. Questions included on the platform were based on what those doctors failed to ask.
According to Galvin, the platform is currently being used in clinical practice, with the individual tests digitized for download onto electronic devices, and cross-validation of each test is underway. The platform also is being tested in several remote locations, including two reservations in South Dakota and American Samoa, he said.
“We hope to be able to offer this as an online tool for the everyday health care provider to be able to use in their clinical centers,” Galvin said. “By being able to tailor to an individual, we can stabilize cognitive performance or slow cognitive decline. We can improve health-related quality of life.”
References:
- Galvin JE, et al. J Alzheimer’s Dis. 2022;doi:10.3233/JAD-220927.
- Study: New brain health platform gives physicians new tools to precisely assess dementia risk.
- https://physician-news.umiamihealth.org/study-new-brain-health-platform-gives-physicians-new-tools-to-precisely-assess-dementia-risk/. Published Nov. 16, 2022. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.