Interactive e-Cube Games for Routine Cognitive Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

Abstract

Cognitive assessments are important diagnostic and screening tools for cognitive conditions, such as mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). As the US population ages, the cost of AD will increase, resting at around $305 billion currently. Early diagnosis of dementia is the primary route for potentially decreasing this cost and increasing the quality of life of those afflicted. This thesis covers research on e-Cube Screening, an autonomous, routine cognitive assessment for early detection of MCI, which is often considered the prodromal phase of AD, in older adults. Following a preliminary study using the e-Cube Games technology on younger adults, e-Cube Screening is shortened and optimized for use on older adults. It consists of three games, Assembly, Shape-Matching, and Spatial-Memory. The ongoing evaluation study aims to evaluate the usability and preliminary validity of e-Cube Screening for cognitive assessment. In this study, the three e-Cube games are tested against and later compared to three subtests of the Fourth Edition of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (Block Design, Digit Span, and Matrix Reasoning), as well as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. Preliminary usability evaluation on nine subjects showed e-Cube Screening is usable by older adults. Results from nine enrolled subjects are reported in this thesis.