Digital Cognitive Assessment for Older Adults: Validation of an Automated Three-Module Tool for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Screening

With the aging global population, effective screening tools for age-related cognitive disorders are urgently needed. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, requires early detection for timely intervention. The current research developed an innovative electronic assessment tool designed with three task modules targeting executive function, memory binding, and spatial navigation to quickly screen for MCI in older adults. A validation study of 271 older participants, aged 56 to 89 (138 with MCI and 133 controls), indicated excellent reliability and validity, achieving 72% accuracy in distinguishing MCI from cognitively normal individuals, with excellent screening power (AUC = 0.807; 95% CI: 0.756 - 0.858). This performance surpasses that of the paper-and-pencil Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). An independent dataset from a community hospital further confirmed that the tool achieved a good accuracy rate of 93% (26/28) in predicting MCI. These results provide strong tool support for the early identification of MCI, enhancing the effective management of cognitive decline in at-risk elderly individuals.