Exploring remote tools for neurocognitive impairment assessment

MCI and the fulfilment of diagnostic criteria for dementia. Patients with MCI have a higher risk of progressing to dementia compared to the general population, 2 so it is crucial to promptly detect MCI to try to prevent or slow down the progression to dementia. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and validate new assessment strategies that can reliably detect NCI at an early stage. The use of remote tools to assess NCI can be highly useful in European countries, including Spain, where approximately 60% of the nearly 9.6 million adults over the age of 65 used a smartphone on a daily basis in 2022. 16 This proportion, and the proportion who use other electronic devices, is likely to increase with successive generations. At the same time, the Spanish Ministry of Health estimates that the prevalence of dementia in the Spanish population aged 65– 74 years is about 3.4%– 6.9%, 17 and the prevalence of MCI is expected to be even higher. Therefore, a significant proportion of the Spanish population over 65 years could be evaluated for NCI using remote tools, conventional mobile phones and other electronic devices. This assessment could serve as a valuable initial step, and only individuals with suspected NCI would require a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment through an in-person evaluation to confirm the diagnosis. In summary, the research conducted by Quoc and colleagues contributes to demonstrating the validity of a remote screening assessment tool, the TICS-M 7 . These types of tools can enable early diagnosis, facilitate the early detection of NCI, promote chronic care, foster active and healthy ageing and ultimately enhance the quality of life in individuals with dementia and their caregivers.