Development of a screening test in communities for dementia and mild cognitive impairment

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19460
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: KOUZUKI Minoru 鳥取大学, 医学部, 助教 (80736843)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 認知症 / 軽度認知障害 / スクリーニング検査 / 認知症検診

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was the development of a computerized cognitive function test for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a preliminary stage of dementia. The validation results showed that the test could distinguish between MCI and Alzheimer's disease dementia with high accuracy. In addition, the median test time was 6 minutes and 41 seconds, a relatively short period, and it had high validity in relation to existing tests and high reliability in evaluation by retests. These results formed the basis of the development of an application version of the test, to be installed on a personal computer, for the purpose of dissemination.

Free Research Field

認知症、老年医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

軽度認知障害（MCI）は認知機能が正常な状態に戻る可能性が報告されているため、いかに早期に認知機能低下を発見し、適切な対応をするかが重要と考えられている。本研究で開発した検査は、パソコンさえあれば無料で実施でき、人手をかけずに短時間で行えるMCIのスクリーニングツールである。そのため、地域で行う認知症検診等の事業で導入しやすいものとなっており、認知機能低下者の早期発見のために広く活用されることが期待される。