Baycrest

Improving the detection and diagnosis of brain health disorders in older adults Following a successful pilot in 2021, the Centre for Education and the Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health (CCSMH) received a grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada to deliver 30 education sessions to help healthcare providers better detect and diagnose dementia and other brain health disorders. Leveraging their experience with the Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model, the Centre for Education and CCSMH teams assembled a steering committee of experts from across Canada, and they officially launched National ECHO: Geriatric Mental Health in February 2023. This program provides virtual, real-time, interprofessional education sessions to enhance quality of care for older adults by improving healthcare providers' knowledge and skills with regard to detecting and diagnosing dementia and other cognitive and mental health disorders. Examples of session topics include screening for and assessment of dementia, as well as delirium, substance use disorders, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, suicide risk and prevention, and supporting caregivers' mental health. Overall, the program's first cycle attracted 205 learning partners from nine different provinces, of whom 95 per cent would recommend the program to a colleague. Future cycles are ongoing. Using artificial intelligence to improve cognitive screening Scientists and clinicians at Baycrest's new Pamela and Paul Austin Centre for Neurology and Behavioural Support are developing tools that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the brain health assessment process for prospective clients. As part of their existing, comprehensive assessment, clinicians at the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic, located within the Austin Centre, ask patients to draw a clock with hands in the 10 after 11 position. This is a sensitive test to detect cognitive impairment. However, manually scoring these clock drawings can be time consuming. To address this challenge, a team, led by Dr. Bradley Buchsbaum (Rotman Research Institute (RRI) Senior Scientist) and Dr. Morris Freedman (Medical Director, Pamela and Paul Austin Centre for Neurology and Behavioural Support, RRI Scientist, and Baycrest Head of Neurology), has successfully created an AI-based machine vision tool that can automatically detect dementia. In a sample of 680 cases, the tool was in line with a physician's diagnosis 80 per cent of the time, showing a high degree of accuracy. Building on the RRI's expertise in precision medicine and predictive neuroscience for precision aging, the tool will be integrated into the Pamela and Paul Austin AI Platform, which will help prospective clients be evaluated more quickly. This will lead to more efficient and accurate identification of the right treatment plans, ultimately helping older adults to live their best possible lives. Dementia Detection and Diagnosis Researchers and educators at the Baycrest Academy are paving the way towards the detection and diagnosis of dementia at its earliest stages, allowing for timely interventions and tailored support for individuals and their caregivers. 12 BAYCREST ACADEMY FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION To learn more about our latest research findings, visit the news section of the Baycrest website.

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