A new dementia test is currently being rolled out in the UK, aiming to detect early signs of dementia in just five minutes. The National Health Service (NHS) has teamed up with London-based medical tech firm Cognetivity Ltd to develop the quick, simple test. Trial participants are shown different images using an iPad, while researchers measure their responses. The new test was designed to serve as a single diagnostic for early dementia detection. It makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) to gauge brain function. Participants will be shown 100 different photographs, some containing animals. Each image will appear on the screen for a brief moment only and researchers will then ask participants to identify whether the photo they have just seen depicted an animal or not. They will then identify differences in how fast the participants were able to answer and how accurate those answers were. They will use the data to detect potential signs of dementia. If trial results prove positive, the diagnostic tool could be rolled out UK-wide by next year.
