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Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
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Evidence for age-associated cognitive decline from Internet game scores
Jason Geyer1, Philip Insel2, Faraz Farzin3
1Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|May 31, 2016
Summary
Online memory games like Lumosity's Memory Match show age-related declines in cognitive function. This research suggests these games can help identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Lumosity's Memory Match (LMM) is an online game assessing visual working memory.
- Changes in LMM scores may correlate with age-related working memory changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of age and time on learning and forgetting rates in LMM.
- To determine the potential of online games for identifying age-related cognitive decline.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1890 game sessions from users aged 40-79.
- Estimation of age and time effects on LMM learning and forgetting rates.
Main Results:
- Significant negative effect of age on baseline LMM scores (β = -.31, P < .0001).
- Significant negative effect of age on learning rates (β = -.0066, P < .0001).
- Estimated sample size of 202 subjects/arm for a 1-year study in the lower quartile of performance.
Conclusions:
- Online memory games can detect age-related cognitive decline.
- These games offer a cost-effective method for identifying at-risk individuals compared to traditional recruitment.
