Developing an automated Cognitive assessment based on language; CognoSpeak‐ working with an ethnic minority group

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to explore the issues around developing a new automated cognitive assessment. Current cognitive screening or stratification tools were typically developed only using white people so having a normative data set from almost exclusively white populations. In this part of the project we are co‐developing an automated cognitive assessment tool; CognoSpeak (https://cognospeak.github.io/website/) with a Somali ethnic minority group.CognoSpeak is a fully automated cognitive assessment tool based in language an interaction. A virtual clinician asking questions and listening to responses using automatic speech recognition and Machine Learning algorithmsMethodsWe recruited 2 members of the Somali community team (Israac) and undertook workshops to explore the themes of dementia and cognitive impairment. We trained the Research champions to use cognitive assessment tools and have piloted these on 20 healthy controls from the Somali community. Participants were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) and the Multicultural Cognitive Examination (MCE).ResultsWe have undertaken a pilot study, recruiting 14 females, and 7 males ranging from 34 years to 80 years old (with mean age of 48.8). Participants were all from a non‐English background and spoke English and identified as either Somalian or British Somalian. 76.19%(16/21 scored below MoCA = 26; MoCA. Zero scored below cut off on RUDAS (RUDAS = 22; RUDAS: all the patients scored more than 22 and zero scored below cut off of 70 on MCE and 14.29% (3/21)We will aim to recruit 50 participants to interact with CognoSpeak and have results from the three cognitive screens described above.ConclusionWe have trained two research champions with no prior research experience to help recruit Healthy controls to start testing CognoSpeak. Validation of novel cognitive tools needs co‐developed methodologies and culturally appropriate cognitive assessment tools. We will have further data on a larger data set, comparing different cognitive screening tools and our automated tool.