Project Overview

Problem: According to the Alzheimer's Association, about 600,000 Canadians have some form of dementia, costing more than $10.4 billion annually. In 15 years, this number will climb to 937,000. Early diagnosis and ongoing validation of treatments with respect to cognitive impairment is critical to promote healthy aging amongst this population. Thus, there is increasing demand for rapid, user-friendly technologies to identify early decline in brain function. Yet, there are currently no cost-effective ways to monitor the physiological impacts of treatments for cognitive decline. Research suggests evoked potentials using electroencephalography (EEG), may provide such a measure. However, current state-of-the-art requires numerous 'leads' and extensive clinical training. Standard EEG testing puts strain on the cognitivelyimpaired, who have trouble sitting still for typical 1-hour examination periods: 25 minutes of EEG cap set-up and multiple paradigms each taking some 10 minutes. 

Purpose: We will validate the use of a low-cost, 'rapid output' EEG platform for the diagnosis and assessment of cognitive impairment. NeuroCatchTM is a clinician-friendly software tool, translating established brain waves into a clinicallyaccessible, understandable framework. NeuroCatchTM outperforms existing EEG tools by extracting critical brain data in about 5 minutes. NeuroCatchTM has been tested amongst people with brain injuries and concussions. Given that the cognitively-impaired have similar challenges, reworking the product for this population is a logical next step.

Impact: We will verify NeuroCatch's capacity to assess functional brain status amongst people with cognitive impairment, establishing a new product for healthy aging. Funding will support minor design changes, field-testing and deliver a validated prototype. Led by trainees, this project delivers a cheaper accessible tool for clinicians, saves healthcare costs, improves diagnosis and treatment monitoring and reaches the global cognition market, ultimately improving the lives of aging adults in Canada and internationally.