AI for Cognitive Health

Population ageing is a global concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people aged over 60 will nearly double to make up 22% of the world’s population by 2050, while the number of Hong Kong people aged over 65 will rise to make up 35% of the local population. Neurocognitive disorders (NCD), which include various types of dementia, are particularly prominent in elderly people. As spoken language can be easily captured (even remotely) and enables sensitive cognitive assessments, it can be used for early NCD diagnoses. ​ In this event, the Dr. James Glass from MIT and Prof Helen Meng from CPII presented the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven research that automatically extracts spoken language biomarkers for early detection of NCD. This research aligns well with WHO’s plan of making dementia a public health and social care priority at national and international levels.