Research Project Title:
Online Cognitive Health Management System for Dementia Prevention in Older Adults
Principal Investigator:
Professor Ada FUNG, Academy of Wellness and Human Development - Department of Sports and Health Sciences
Total Funding Awarded:
$2,838,185 across three research projects on cognitive health and ageing
Underpinning Research:
Early detection of dementia in older adults continues to pose significant challenges, often delaying interventions for those at high risk of developing dementia. Dr. Ada Fung and her team have made substantial contributions to addressing these challenges by developing innovative tools targeting modifiable risk factors for proactive dementia prevention.
Hong Kong - Vigilance and Memory Test (HK-VMT)
The HK-VMT is developed in 2021. It is a simple, 15-minute computerized cognitive assessment for older adults aged 60 and above. The test assesses episodic memory, attention, information processing speed, and visuospatial ability. It has been validated through a cohort study involving 606 older adults, demonstrating good test-retest reliability and high validity in differentiating Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) from normal controls (1). It has proven to be more efficient than conventional tools, detecting an additional 3% of MCI in highly educated individuals. (1).
Cognitive Ageing Risk Score (CARS)
In 2023, Dr Fung expanded the efforts by developing the Cognitive Ageing Risk Score (CARS), a risk assessment tool designed to identify cognitive deficits often missed by traditional screening methods. CARS is a predictive algorithm specifically designed to estimate dementia risk in Chinese older adults. It integrates a comprehensive set of risk factors, including age, gender, education level, diabetes status, sleep patterns, exercise habits, loneliness, and genetic predispositions. A CARS cutoff of -1.3 effectively categorizes individuals into low and high-risk groups for dementia, achieving a sensitivity of 83.9% and a specificity of 75.4% in predicting dementia in six years (2).
Social Impact:
Since 2024, CARS has been integrated to the HK-VMT to enhance cognitive health services in the community. Dr Fung has initiated the launch of a community brain health program that provide public talks, professional training workshops, and cognitive health assessment to educate the public about dementia prevention and brain health management. Her work has been showcased at health exhibitions and professional symposiums, highlighting the impact of the HK-VMT on cognitive health. The integrated platform has been implemented in 17 community centres, benefiting over 1900 users. It offers free online cognitive screening and personalized lifestyle advice, empowering seniors to adopt low-cost strategies to delay disease onset and reduce healthcare costs. The platform also streamlines the screening process for primary care workers, facilitating targeted interventions based on personalized reports.
Selected Grants Awarded:
- Loneliness in Chinese older adults: Association with inflammation and cognitive decline. A 2-year longitudinal study. (Funding body: GRF, Capacity: PI. Ref. No.: 15601522. Funding: $1,319,530. Study Period: 01/01/2024 – 31/12/2026)
- Effect of a six-week integrated attention training program on the cognitive functions of older adults with co-occurring anxiety symptoms and subjective cognitive complaints. (Funding body HMRF, Capacity: PI. Ref. No.: 10211426. Funding: $ 1,338,655. Study Period: 01/07/2023 – 30/6/2025)
- Online longitudinal study investigating the long-term impact of lifestyle factors on cognition in 50s (Online 50s). (Funding body: HKBU Research Development Fund: Research Network on Healthy Ageing, Capacity: PI. Ref. No.: RNHA202305. Funding: $ 180,000. Study Period: 01/01/2024 – 31/12/2028)
Selected publication and source:
- Fung, A., Lee, A., Ma, S. et al. Development and validation of cognitive ageing risk score (CARS) for early detection of subtle cognitive deficits in older people. BMC Geriatr 24, 277 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04879-5
- Fung, A. W. T., & Lam, L. C. W. (2018). Validation of a computerized Hong Kong – vigilance and memory test (HK-VMT) to detect early cognitive impairment in healthy older adults. Ageing & Mental Health, 24(1), 186–192. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/13607863.2018.1523878
- HK-VMT Website: https://www.hkvmt.com/
