Feasibility Study for the Use of Computer Game Technology in the Early Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia that causes progressive deterioration to memory, thinking and behaviour. It is currently thought to affect 50 million people globally, although 75% of those affected are thought to be undiagnosed, with no access to treatment.[2] Diagnosis requires extensive clinical evaluation, involving a range of techniques that are resource-intensive and can only be performed in clinical settings. Research has demonstrated a direct link between carefully designed spatial learning within computer games and the detection of deterioration in specific brain cells first affected by Alzheimer's Disease, overlooked by existing assessment techniques. This research will look at the feasibility of using a computer game diagnostic tool, called G:DATA, in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. It will do this by providing a clinical benchmark, consolidating the results of gameplay performance against current clinical gold-standard assessments, during a clinical study conducted with two patient groups (patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), patients with mild AD-related dementia) and a healthy controls group. Outcomes will include validity data of the game's output in diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease, together with data on the tool's usability, and acceptability.