What is it about?
This study introduces a quick and easy way to detect early signs of cognitive decline using a virtual reality headset that tracks a person's eye movements. Instead of traditional memory tests that rely on written answers or verbal responses, this system presents tasks in a virtual environment and records where participants look to understand how they perform. It focuses on five cognitive skills—memory, language, spatial awareness, judgment, and calculation. The test takes just five minutes and automatically scores itself. Results showed it could accurately tell the difference between healthy older adults, people with mild cognitive impairment, and those with early dementia. This makes it a promising tool for early diagnosis in clinics and care settings.
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Why is it important?
Early diagnosis of dementia is critical for timely care, but existing tests can be time-consuming, require trained staff, and may not detect subtle cognitive changes. This study presents a novel solution: a five-minute cognitive screening tool that uses virtual reality and eye-tracking to automatically evaluate thinking abilities. Unlike traditional tests, it minimizes language and education bias and requires no manual scoring. The system proved especially accurate in distinguishing between mild cognitive impairment and early dementia—two stages that are often hard to tell apart. This makes it a timely and practical innovation for aging societies facing growing demands on memory care.
Perspectives
This publication reflects a growing interest in making cognitive testing more accessible, efficient, and adaptable to real-world clinical settings. Virtual reality and eye-tracking technologies are often seen as experimental or niche, but this work demonstrates their practical value for early dementia detection. It was especially meaningful to contribute to a solution that reduces the burden on both patients and clinicians—eliminating the need for language-heavy tasks, manual scoring, or long appointments. The hope is that this kind of tool will play a role in broader health systems, especially in aging societies where cognitive screening needs to be both scalable and sensitive.
Dr. Yuan Ma
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A cognitive function test utilizing eye-tracking technology in virtual reality is useful to distinguish between normal cognition, MCI and mild dementia, Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus, December 2024, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.aggp.2024.100070.
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