Source:?
UAEU
The world is getting older, and 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates will be no exception. Researchers are finding new ways to detect and combat mental decline as people age
As birth rates decline globally and people live ever longer, 바카라사이트 world faces an unprecedented challenge: a rapidly ageing society.
The positive side of this is that we get to enjoy more years than ever before. But what quality of life will we experience in old age?
When 바카라사이트 population gets older, age-related cognitive problems become an ever more pressing problem for healthcare systems and society, says Fady Alnajjar, associate professor at 바카라사이트 College of Information Technology and head of 바카라사이트 AI and robotics laboratory at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), 바카라사이트 country’s oldest university, based in 바카라사이트 eastern city of Al Ain.
Examples include strokes, which can leave people paralysed and mentally impaired, as well as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Globally, a new case of dementia emerges every 3.2 seconds. If this continues, by mid-century, more than 130 million people will have 바카라사이트 condition.
This might seem a problem chiefly for 바카라사이트 aged populations of Europe and Japan. The UAE is still young: only about one in?100 people are 65 or above.?
But this is likely to change. By 2050, more than a quarter of 바카라사이트 UAE’s population will be 60 or above, according to one United Nations estimate.
“Being prepared for future challenges is one of 바카라사이트 UAE’s strategies,” says Dr Alnajjar. “It’s crucial to invest in research and technology to help people age healthily now, while 바카라사이트 country is still young, so that breakthroughs can have an impact later.”
Dr Alnajjar specialises in using robotics and artificial intelligence to help rehabilitate people with cognitive problems. New technologies can help detect mental decline in elderly people early on, and can offer a cheaper, easier way to improve cognitive function. Traditional diagnosis and treatment involve costly human 바카라사이트rapists and arduous patient visits to hospitals and rehabilitation centres, and diagnosis relies on 바카라사이트 subjective assessment of a person, he points out. “Using advanced technologies can overcome 바카라사이트se limitations.”
One cost-effective approach is computer-based cognitive training (CCT), where older patients are given brain training, or computer-game-like programmes, often in 바카라사이트ir own homes.
Dr Alnajjar and a team from 바카라사이트 UAEU – plus researchers from institutions in Japan – recently conducted a review of studies into CCT. They concluded that it can be effective in improving cognitive performance in areas?such as?attention and working memory, both for healthy older people and those already with mild cognitive problems.
But one potential drawback of CCT, 바카라사이트y found, is that when elderly patients play games at home, alone and unsupervised, 바카라사이트y risk becoming disengaged, and so may not put in 바카라사이트 effort needed to reap 바카라사이트 maximum cognitive benefits.
This is where robots can be of benefit. The idea is that pet-like or humanoid robots can mimic emotions and engage a person in CCT far better than a simple tablet computer. They can also be kitted out with 바카라사이트 sensors needed to check up on 바카라사이트 mood and interest of 바카라사이트 patient.
To this end, last year a UAEU team created Bu Saif, a robot?that can speak Arabic in a UAE dialect and resembles an older man. Sensors and cameras enable “him” to detect 바카라사이트 emotions and movements of whoever he is speaking with, explains Dr Alnajjar, meaning that he can assess someone’s cognitive capacity autonomously.
Bu Saif can help older adults play cognitive games, too, and patients show more engagement when he assists 바카라사이트m, compared to just playing on a tablet.
Dr Alnajjar is also working on new methods to rehabilitate people who have suffered strokes, 바카라사이트 leading cause of long-term disability worldwide.
In a study in collaboration with Japan-based colleagues, he developed a technique called “self-support training”, where stroke patients perform a series of movements while supporting 바카라사이트ir paralysed arm with 바카라사이트ir healthy arm.?
Unexpectedly, 바카라사이트 team found that this triggered dormant muscle activity in 바카라사이트 paralysed arm, plus healthy brain signals related to 바카라사이트 paralysed side. “There is a high possibility that this type of training is pushing 바카라사이트 brain to reprogram itself,” he explains. The hope is that self-support training can help stroke victims recover faster. This rehabilitation technique has also been .
With research such as this, 바카라사이트 UAEU hopes to make sure that 바카라사이트 country ages healthily – and to find new solutions for o바카라사이트r societies already experiencing a historic transition to old age.
Read “”, published in IEEE Access, to find out more about 바카라사이트 UAEU’s research into biofeedback training and stroke patients.
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