Build a Digital Memory Helper & Aid & Diagnose possible Alsheimer's and Dementia NOW
projectbrainsaver 2011
Background
NHS should screen over-75s for dementia as hundreds of thousands miss out on treatment that slows disease, says charity
Last updated at 1:49 AM on 29th March 2011
The NHS should routinely screen all over-75s for signs of dementia, a leading charity said today.
The Alzheimer's Society said the radical change was needed as fewer than half of the estimated 750,000 dementia sufferers receive a diagnosis.
This means hundreds of thousands are missing out on treatment, care and support, including new medications that can slow the development of the condition, the Society said.
Critics cautioned that universal screening may increase anxiety while placing an additional burden on NHS resources and suggested that targeted checks on older people admitted to hospital for other reasons may be more effective.
The Alzheimer's Society director of research Professor Clive Ballard told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'At the moment, there are 750,000 people with dementia in the UK and it will be more than a million by 2021, but less than half of those individuals actually receive a diagnosis of dementia.
'That is fundamental to them getting the right treatment and support and care.
'Really the only way we are going to improve the identification is through effective screening and probably the right time to do that is over the age of 75, once dementia starts to become more common.'
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Prof Ballard said screening for Alzheimer's would be welcomed by many elderly people.
'General heath screening is very popular with older people,' he said.
'They like to know if their health is intact and if it isn't that something is going to be done about it.'
But Professor Tim Kendal, who helped draw up NHS guidance on dementia, suggested that targeted checks may be a more efficient use of resources.
He told Today: 'It is quite common that people be admitted for what appears to be some other reason - a chest infection, a urinary infection or some acute confusional state - and it becomes fairly apparent that in fact they have got an underlying dementia.
'This group of people we really should be looking at and routinely screening for dementia.'
Dementia causes distressing memory lapses and confusion and may lead to mood swings in later stages
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Published 28 March 2011
Our comment on screening for dementia
'There are 750,000 people living with dementia in the UK yet more than half never receive a diagnosis. A timely diagnosis is essential in order to give people access to care, support and medical treatments that can make a huge difference to their quality of life. We must act now to improve these dismal diagnosis rates.
We would welcome a debate on the value of screening and any other approaches that could help more people with dementia get an early diagnosis.
Anyone worried that they may be developing dementia should seek advice from their doctor. For more information please go toalzheimers.org.uk/memoryworry'
Prof Clive Ballard
Director of Research
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A possible eight year old answer
Take any phone and a phone number
Then
dial the number
and just start talking - about anything you want to
http://www.hightechheadhelper.com
As you talk the 'kit in the cloud' analyses what you are saying and tunes in on things for you - whatever that is, an answer or an action
Whilst it does this it also studies you for any and all ailments that can be diagnosed or that have some 'tells' which can be detected through the analysis of speech on any and all levels - fast or slow - it can take its time and ask focussed questions or it can power itself to however many cores to find the answer Fast
My preferences for who and why
Dial into Voxeo
http://www.voxeo.com/library/ivr.jsp
Add Autonomy and Meaning Based Computing
The Autonomy IDOL Server
"At the heart of Autonomy's infrastructure software lies the Intelligent Data Operating Layer (IDOL) Server. The IDOL Server collects indexed data from connectors and stores it in its proprietary structure, optimized for fast processing and retrieval of data. As the information processing layer, IDOL forms a conceptual and contextual understanding of all content in an enterprise, automatically analyzing any piece of information from over 1,000 different content formats and even people's interests. Over 500 operations can be performed on digital content by IDOL, including hyperlinking, agents, summarization, taxonomy generation, clustering, eduction, profiling, alerting and retrieval."
http://www.autonomy.com/content/Products/products-idol-server/index.en.html
For the medical side
http://www.autonomyhealth.com/
http://www.autonomyhealth.com/healthcare/solutions/products.page?
http://www.autonomyhealth.com/healthcare/solutions/idol.page?
Have IBM Watson adding it's specialities
http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/
You can set this up within 3 months!
1 month for the memory help if you go for it!
It won't take that long for contracts n stuff - most, if not all, of the memory help side can be worked with Autonomy itself.
I spoke to Voxeo last year at SpeechTek Europe 2010 in May. They could offer the starter package from £500 per month (so trialing the kit can start off at as low a cost as needs be.
Autonomy have been ready to add their technology since 2003! They have often said they love the idea of helping with it. I spoke to their Technology Chief Architect at SpeechTek Europe last year, and with one of their engineers up here in Harlech, and just using their technology we could build a helper that could vastly improve the memory capabilities and organisational abilities of a man like me - I lose memories when I throw Grand Mal Epileptic fits
Voxeo and Autonomy already have strong links with each other
as does Autonomy with....
IBM
IBM are working on a power user interface for Physicians so that Watson can add to the diagnosis of patients and help advise on accurate medication regimes and more - although they are working with Nuance to build the interface
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/33726.wss
Autonomy already have a medical application as shown above
http://www.projectbrainsaver.com
http://www.hightechheadhelper.com
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