Serious games in cognitive training for Alzheimer's patients

Abstract

Research on progressive dementia increased significantly in the past years due to the urgency of the aging population. Patients suffering from such dementia, for instance Alzheimer's disease, lose efficiency in cognitive spheres such as memory, planning skills, initiative and perseverance. Some researchers tried to evaluate the potential of close-to-reality simulations and generic video games for brain training to stimulate the cognitive abilities of AD patients. Using recent advances in artificial intelligence such as learning, activity recognition and guidance to enhance this concept of training, we are proposing, in this paper, a detailed explanation of an adapted serious game we designed for this purpose. A prototype has been developed showing how to exploit AI techniques to create an affordable and accessible tool for cognitive training and allowing in-game estimation of the patient's cognitive performance.