Dementia medical screening using mobile applications: A systematic review with a new mapping model

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Digital Health

Background:

• Dementia is a prevalent neurocognitive condition in the elderly, necessitating early detection for effective management.
• Technological platforms, specifically mobile applications (apps), present a promising avenue for accelerating dementia diagnosis and enhancing accessibility.
• A gap exists in comprehensive research on mobile app-based tools for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and critically analyze existing mobile-based apps for dementia and MCI screening.
• To evaluate these apps based on comprehensiveness, validity, performance, and the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques.
• To map the functionalities of identified apps to specific cognitive domains for diagnostic clarity.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review methodology was employed, utilizing specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify relevant mobile applications.
• A critical analysis framework was applied to assess the identified apps' features, diagnostic coverage, and technological sophistication.
• The review specifically examined the integration and impact of machine learning (ML) and AI in enhancing screening accuracy and efficiency.

Main Results:

• Dementia screening apps such as ALZ and CognitiveExams are recommended for clinical use due to their broad coverage of neurocognitive disorder diagnostic domains.
• Apps like Cognity and ACE-Mobile demonstrate significant potential, leveraging ML and AI to improve diagnostic outcome accuracy and screening process efficiency.
• Overlapping content within dementia screening apps presents a challenge in mapping activities and questions to designated cognitive domains, a task addressed in this review.

Conclusions:

• Mobile applications are valuable tools for early dementia and MCI detection, offering improved accessibility and diagnostic speed.
• Apps incorporating AI and ML, such as Cognity and ACE-Mobile, show enhanced potential for accurate and efficient cognitive screening.
• Standardization and clear domain mapping are essential for optimizing the utility of diverse dementia screening apps in clinical practice.