Measure the Cognitive Decline of People with Dementia Using Games for Cognitive Training

The use of digital games (DG) to measure and improve the cognitive state of people, particularly those with dementia, is widespread. However, there is a gap in methodologies used to effectively measure the cognitive status derived from digital games. In this framework, this study pursues a twofold goal. Firstly, it proposes an algorithm aimed at assessing the cognitive status of people with dementia (PwD) by generating indicators based on two DGs, i.e., a finger-based game (Tipr) and floor-tile game (WhizToys) designed in Taiwan, which caregivers can easily use for monitoring cognitive health. Secondly, it evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed cognitive status measurement system by computing the correlation coefficient on a well-being questionnaire administrated to five PwD in Taiwan through a social tablet device from May 2023 to September 2023. The results of the linear regression analysis suggest that the indicators developed for the two DGs are valid tools for measuring the cognitive status of the PwD involved in the pilot tests. Moreover, the strong correlation observed between the finger-based game indicator and the questionnaire, gained from the social tablet (R= 57 %), as well as the floor-tile gam indicator and the questionnaire of the social tablet (R = - 63 %) reinforces the positive assessment of the methodology employed, suggesting that it is possible to use the DGs to assess the cognitive status of PwD.