leading brain health hub tackles dementia with technology

there is no cure for alzheimer’s or dementia, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t seen important progress in the prevention, detection, treatment and care of these devastating diseases.toronto-based centre for aging and brain health innovation (cabhi) has been spearheading and funding 279 brain health projects in canada, and around the globe, aimed at easing some of the issues surrounding age-related disease. the work being done by cabhi — which is led by the baycrest centre, a global leader in aging and brain health — is reason to be optimistic about the future of patient quality of life. but there is still much to be done.by 2031, more than one million canadians will be living with dementia. the total cost to the health care system, combined with out-of-pocket expenses for patients and caregivers, is estimated at $25 billion. beyond the obvious tragedy of the disease, the looming threat of an overburdened system is one of many reasons to fund and develop technology that will not only gain insights into treatments, but also allow people to age safely while maintaining as much of their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being as possible.cabhi was key in the development of the federal government’s national dementia strategy, which was released last summer. the strategy focuses on investing in dementia prevention and care, spreading the knowledge around key organizations and involving patients and caregivers in every step of the research process. but cabhi also has a unique mandate: to put the innovation economy to work on the problem of dementia, not only by figuring out new treatments, but also by developing new models of prevention and care. to do this, cabhi provides support and funding to innovators to develop new ideas and technologies that address the challenges in brain health and seniors’ care. the model is not only intriguing and forward-thinking, but the potential payoff for patients and families is profound and far-reaching.one company funded by cabhi ($4.5 million) is retispec. the toronto-based start-up has developed a non-invasive eye scanner that uses artificial intelligence to identify people at risk of developing alzheimer’s. since the plaques that develop in the brains of patients can also be seen through the retina, early detection means early treatment or even prevention.“if we figure [out early detection], maybe there are drugs or therapies that can help people maintain or even improve their cognitive function,” says dr. allison sekuler, the vice president of research at baycrest health services. “people say the eye is a window to the soul, but [it’s also a window] to the brain.”another interesting technological development comes from safelyyou. spun out of the berkeley artificial intelligence research laboratory in california, safelyyou developed an ai tool to monitor the falls of people with alzheimer’s or dementia.“imagine you’re a frail older person and you fall in the middle of the night and you just lie there for 38 minutes,” says sekuler. “or worse, you hit your head and get into bed. then, you start to decline and no one knows why.”the camera can tell when someone is on the floor, and after a brief human check to verify, help is sent. the video taken before and after the fall is saved so that it can be analyzed to see what actually happened and so that proper treatment can be administered.mindful garden digital health, another standout, utilizes ai and vr in order to provide alternative solutions to calming patients. instead of a clunky headset, which can be disturbing to some patients, the display is a regular old television. powered by a video game engine, it analyzes a patient’s movements and voice in real time to determine what images to show on screen that will best produce a calming effect. in the us, delirium is a $150 billion cost to the healthcare system each year, and 70 per cent of nursing home staff are assaulted at least once a month.“often people are given drugs or put in physical restraints, but there are other solutions that are better for the person and the environment around them,” says sekuler. one being this combination of personalized medicine, ai and vr.but not every solution to every problem has to come in the form of high-tech wizardry.“apps are great, but a lot of them are memory apps, reminder or scheduling and coordinating apps,” says ron beleno, a caregiver and dementia advocate. “there is too much emphasis on that. we need to focus on other areas, like aging at home. how do we make it acceptable and safe to keep someone at home?”beleno cared for his father, who had dementia, for more than ten years at home until january 2018. he used video cameras in order to check in on his father, but some other tech solutions were as simple as a skype call over dinner so his mother could have a much-needed nap.he also wants to see technological solutions that focus on keeping people in their communities, while also making things easier on caregivers, like helping with the day-to-day tasks of bathing and cooking.“there’s the hoyer lift for those that can’t lift themselves out of bed,” says beleno. “can  robot do it? if i had a choice between the lift or a robot to take my dad to the bathroom, i’d take the robot.”sekuler agrees that there is definitely a need for lower-tech solutions.“[one of our solutions in our portfolio] is laugh therapy or laugh yoga. it sounds whacky but it brings people together,” says sekuler. “others are communal eating or dance programs, for example. it’s about doing whatever is needed in the right sort of space while keeping in mind that what works in one community might not work in another.”when it comes to prevention, sometimes the solution can come from no technology at all. according to sekuler, up to 35 per cent of the risk involved in developing dementia can be altered by lifestyle choices such as better nutrition, exercise and getting more sleep.