On 9 May 2023, Dr. Peera was invited to talk in topic of Neuro-cognitive and language-based parameters for classifying mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults, At the Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore.

Abstract

The prevalence of dementia in Thai older adults was approximately 18%. In addition, the number of older adults with dementia in Thailand would be 2.4, 3.5, and 8.6 times the numbers in Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore, respectively. Although dementia has no cure or effective treatment to stop its progression, early detection (i.e., a prodromal stage of dementia or mild cognitive impairment) and intervention might be a key. This research aimed to fulfill knowledge-practical gaps regarding the development of a tele-neuropsychological test battery using language and speech-based analyses. This paper-based tool and a computerized scoring system will be used to classify Thai older adults at risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Two phases of data collection and analysis were conducted at laboratory and community settings. Participants consisted of 400 community-dwelling older adults (i.e., 250 healthy control and 150 MCI). The developed tool achieved an acceptable level of reliability and validity. As well, the language-based parameters have successfully classified older adults at risk of MCI.