Exploration of remote cognitive assessment and rehabilitation guidance / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

With rapid global growth of the older population, it has been increasingly important for screening, early diagnosis, treatment and daily monitoring of cognitive function in the elderly population. Given the limited effects of pharmacological treatments, cognitive rehabilitation has the potential to improve meaningful outcomes for older people and thus comes into sight. Traditional cognitive assessment and rehabilitation require face-to-face interview, while patients with cognitive impairment are mostly elderly with difficulties in access to medical care, usually needed to be accompanied by caregivers and having other co-morbidities with limited mobility. This contradiction is especially prominent in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, which may even exacerbate cognitive decline of patients. Therefore, remote cognitive assessment and rehabilitation based on information and communication technologies have become new options. This paper introduces the widely used and validated means of remote assessment and its guiding use in cognitive rehabilitation, which can be implemented through the Internet, applications, video and telephone. The advantages of being fast, convenient and geographically agnostic lead to a wider use in large community and safeguard the health of patients with cognitive impairment.