Eye-Tracking-Based Cognitive Assessment Efficiently Detects Mild Cognitive Decline in the Predementia Stage

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Early detection of cognitive decline is vital for dementia interventions.
• Traditional neuropsychological tests are time-consuming and stressful.
• Eye-tracking-based cognitive assessment (ETCA) was previously developed for dementia screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of ETCA in detecting mild cognitive decline.
• To assess ETCA's utility in individuals without a formal dementia diagnosis.
• To examine ETCA's effectiveness in the predementia stage.

Main Methods:

• 94 participants aged 40+ without dementia diagnosis underwent ETCA and standard neuropsychological tests (MMSE, RBMT, ACE-III).
• Correlations between ETCA scores and neuropsychological test scores were analyzed.
• ETCA performance was specifically evaluated in a subgroup with normal neuropsychological test results.

Main Results:

• ETCA scores showed significant correlations with MMSE, RBMT, and ACE-III scores.
• Notably, ETCA scores correlated with RBMT and ACE-III in participants with normal neuropsychological test results.
• This suggests ETCA can detect subtle cognitive changes.

Conclusions:

• ETCA demonstrates potential for efficient screening of mild cognitive decline.
• The technology is suitable for predementia stage identification in nonclinical settings.
• ETCA offers a promising tool for early dementia risk assessment.