Early | Essential | Follow-up - Three words about Cognitive assessment
- Erik Hennig
- Aug 12, 2022
- 3 min read
When we talk about cognitive assessment, Alzheimer's disease often comes up. In a survey conducted by Alzheimer’s Association in 12 countries, 59% believed that Alzheimer's was a natural part of aging, and 40% did not think it was fatal. Therefore they don't seek care. Other challenges with cognitive assessment are that it takes a long time to discover minor differences in people´s cognitive function and in oneself, and therefore people with small or minor changes do not seek the care they need and can get. In addition, 55% of those aged 45 and over, who had felt deterioration in their cognition had not talked to their doctor about the problem.
Alejandra Machado, Jens Berggren, and Chris Hall talked about what we can and should do in healthcare and for the patient.
Cognitive assessment should be done EARLIER.
Do not wait until the patient comes to us, let's reach the person before she becomes a "patient". Healthcare systems today are slow, and many people are in a long queue for help or are sent around before getting the assessment needed. Today dementia is discovered too late, and we at Mindmore, with many in the healthcare industry, think that it is incredibly important to test in time and identify early cognitive impairments before they reach difficulties related to pre-dementia stages. Now, with the tool of Mindmore, we can do that.
Cognitive assessment should be an ESSENTIAL part of primary healthcare.
The screening should always occur in healthcare. We measure the heart and lungs today and look at oxygen and cholesterol levels in the blood, and blood pressure in the body. Why not do the same with the brain - the body's MOST IMPORTANT organ! In the same way, we need to normalize a "baseline" for cognitive health in healthcare. For example, measuring your staff´s wellbeing is unbelievably large in occupational healthcare. Most important today is to add a cognitive test for stress. 40% of people getting sick is because of a psychological matter. If every person has a cognitive baseline from 35 years old (or even from a younger age). Mindmore can at scale easily detect individuals much earlier in their up-going stress level due to a normal view from the person's baseline, to provide help. As we should do.
Cognitive assessment FOLLOW-UP implementation is the key to detecting minor changes after traumas.
In healthcare, we should follow up when a major event impacts the patient's life, like a disease or a medical intervention. Healthcare must be able to capture, in a follow-up, how the brain is affected. For example, with COVID-19, studies are now being done on whether cognition has been affected in the form of cognitive fatigue. If these people already had a baseline before being affected by covid, we would have probably captured evidence of cognitive worsening immediately after undergoing COVID-19. With Mindmore healthcare can easily follow-up on cognitive changes.
Mindmore can accelerate testing and automate administration for healthcare personnel to enable people to access early assessment for cognition. We are doing this through 23 cognitive tests to help in the assessment of dementia, ADHD, stress, depression, prolonged stress, fatigue syndrome, or occupational health checkups.
If you, your clinic, or your research team need more information and want to get access to the Mindmore tool. Contact us now.
Our team is always available.
Contact us here or write to us at info@mindmore.com
References: https://act.alz.org/site/DocServer/Policy_Brief_-_Early_Detection_and_Diagnosis_Brief__Assn.pdf
Erik, your point about the alarming statistics – 59% believing Alzheimer's is a natural part of aging and 40% not seeing it as fatal – really underscores the core challenge in early detection. This prevalent misconception is a significant barrier, often leading individuals to dismiss early signs as normal aging rather than seeking timely intervention, as you highlight with the 55% who haven't spoken to their doctors. While early detection tools like Mindmore are vital, there's also a broader need to educate the public and healthcare professionals on the comprehensive scope and benefits of various cognitive assessment methods. For those looking to delve deeper into the methodologies and overall significance of these evaluations, exploring resources dedicated to understanding effective cognitive…
It's interesting how you touched upon the idea that self-awareness of our innate cognitive abilities is a cornerstone for effective personal and professional development. I've found that many people underestimate the impact of identifying their unique mental aptitudes, often focusing solely on learned skills rather than foundational cognitive functions. However, pinpointing these specific cognitive strengths and areas for improvement can often feel abstract without a structured approach. For anyone looking to gain a clearer picture of their mental faculties, exploring a comprehensive cognitive assessment can provide invaluable insights.
I really appreciate your focus on the critical need for *earlier* cognitive assessment, especially given the statistics about public misconceptions regarding Alzheimer's. The challenge of people not seeking care for minor changes resonated strongly. It highlights a significant gap in proactive health management. Making these assessments more accessible and less daunting could truly bridge that gap and encourage timely intervention. For those looking into more proactive options, understanding the benefits of regular cognitive function testing can be a crucial first step.