Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment Using a Spiral Drawing Test

Abstract

Information and communication technology-based monitoring services for the elderly can be improved by using a monitoring function that automatically detects cognitive decline. Therefore, we developed a system that provides a brief screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This screening is performed by measuring the performance of two tasks completed simultaneously on a tablet device, such as drawing a spiral and counting color changes. First, we used this system to measure and analyze three groups: elderly persons suspected of having MCI, elderly persons with no cognitive impairment, and healthy young adults. We extracted evaluation parameters relevant for determining MCI through analysis. Furthermore, we developed a detection method using the evaluation parameters and performed an evaluation. Cross-validation revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of this method were 90.0% and 75.0%, respectively.