Tackling Dementia: Insights from Xinyi Wang

On September 25th 2024, Xinyi Wang from the University of Tasmania (UTAS) presented ground breaking research at the AI^2 forum, focusing on dementia prevention and early detection. Dementia, a devastating and irreversible condition, affects millions worldwide, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form, accounting for 70% of cases.

Xinyi emphasized that nearly 45% of dementia cases could potentially be delayed or prevented by addressing key risk factors such as lower education levels, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. The challenge is to identify individuals at risk before symptoms appear—what is known as the pre-clinical stage. Early detection methods like brain scans and genetic blood tests are available but are costly and invasive.

Xinyi discussed alternative, non-invasive ways to detect early signs of dementia. She highlighted gait speed as a promising predictor of cognitive decline. Furthermore, she discussed the significance of “The Island Project” the largest dementia study in the world, which collects data on movement, speech, and cognition, aiming to predict dementia risk up to 10 years before symptoms arise.

The Tasmanian Test (TAS Test), part of this research, is a suite of tasks designed to predict cognitive decline by assessing motor functions like hand movement, memory, and speech. For instance, participants perform tasks like tapping the spacebar as quickly as possible or alternating between specific keys (S and ;)—a task designed to reveal early cognitive and motor impairments.

This innovative work shows promise in detecting dementia early and could lead to interventions that significantly slow its progress.

Blog written by: Zoe Hancox