Proposing Project to Systers : App to cure Alzheimer's disease
In today’s world Alzheimer’s disease (AD), also referred to simply as Alzheimer’s, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and worsens over time. It is the cause of 60% to 70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptoms is difficulty in remembering recent events (short-term memory loss). As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self care, and behavioural issues. As a person’s condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death [1].
Worldwide, around 44 million people have Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. The cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S. is estimated to be $236 billion in 2016. The global cost of treating Alzheimer’s and dementia is estimated to be $605 billion, which is equivalent to 1% of the entire world’s gross domestic product. [2]
The Alzheimer’s Association says “There are currently no known treatments to prevent, cure or delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.” [3] Yet some exercise programmes may be beneficial with respect to activities of daily living and can potentially improve outcomes. The cause for most Alzheimer’s cases is still mostly unknown except for 1% to 5% of cases where genetic differences have been identified [4].
My idea is to help people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease around the globe that why I want to propose the project to Systers, a online community founded by Anita Borg to make an app which allow patients to regain their memory in an interactive way. The main question is, How can someone who is suffring from Alzheimer's disease use a mobile or app? I consult with Dr. Palak Sahu (MBBS doctor) about this, and she told me “Family support is the most important factor to cure someone from Alzheimer's disease”. Then I come to know that a family member of a patient will help him/her to use this app.
The App
This app helps a person to cure himself/herself from Alzheimer's disease. App includes some interesting games by using new technologies like AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality). This app helps in increasing recognisation power, thinking ability, general knowledge of a user.
In app there are number of features. Firslty user needs to signup with his/her facebook profile, it is very important step. After signing up. on the home screen there are three main buttons.
- Who am I ?
- Catch the match
- Flashback
In profile section, a user is able to see his own profile
Functionality
1. Who am I ?
In this section, app will show different profile images of people from the list of Facebook friends of the user and give four options, from which a user needs to select one by recognising the image, that will help the user to remember their own family and friend in an interactive way
User will select one option and if the answer is right the next image will appear. If the user will not able to recognise the image then he/she have option to skip that image (Obviously, family member will help him/her)
2. Catch the Match
In this section, user will see an image let say, cricket bat the screen. There will be 4 more images related to cricket bat, example: cricket ball, shuttlecock, basketball etc. the user need to drag and drop the correct ball which is cricket ball to the bat. This will increase the thinking ability as well as remembering power of the user. More examples: racket with shuttlecock, Doctor with stethoscope etc. Also, user can skip the current image if he/she can’t able to match correct image
This will help a user in increasing general knowledge and knowledge about essential things used in life.
3. Flashback
It is the main attraction to this app. In this section Systers can use AR (Augmented Reality) or VR (Virtual Reality) or a simple scenario screen.
By tapping on “Flashback” button a screen pop ups (I am taking example of simple scenario screen) and the user needs to put something somewhere and after sometime they need to find that where they’ve put that thing previously. Example: A key of a lock is appeared on screen with a background scenario of a table with many drawers. A message saying “Put the key into the drawer among these 4” will appear. And a user needs to drag the key into one drawer. After some time or when the app opens again, the message pops out “In which drawer you kept the key” then the user needs to recognise the drawer in which he/she kept the key previously.
As you can see in the above picture “AR/VR Enable” this switch will used when a user/instructor wants to play this game in AR/VR mode.
AR mode: In this mode the back camera of phone will opens and something like a Key will appear then a user have to keep the key somewhere by locking the position in AR mode. After some time he/she will be instruct by his family member to find the key. This is an interactive way to memorise something.
VR mode: The functionality will be same but it gives experience of the virtual world to user, and user needs to find the thing he/she puts in the virtual world. Now a question arises, what if a user lost in virtual world? Let’s take an example, instructor said the patient to put something somewhere in real world and then tells him/her to find the thing, so to find the thing, patient needs to search it by doing physical work and may experience fatigue. I know physical exercise is also very important. But there are also some physically chalanged people who are suffering from Alzheimer. As Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurogenerative disorder, there is no risk of loosing himself/herself in Virtual world. And if by chance this situation arises, then a family member is there for him/her. As I said before, family supports matters a lot. And a patient can gradually learn how to use this app and after some time, instructor will no more needed By the way, there will be a time limit to complete any scenario in VR.
Conclusion
There is no medical treatment to cure Alzheimer’s disease that’s why I want to save people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease with technology. This app will definitely able to save people around the world. As it restoring thinking ability, improving memory, increasing recognising ability of patients. Government of many countries are always trying to improve lifestyle of an old person and made many laws in favour of old persons. In my opinion and research I concluded that this app can help many people around the world.
References
Wikipedia – introduction: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease
Alzheimer’s disease – cost of treatment: https://www.alzheimers.net/resources/alzheimers-statistics/
Alzheimer’s disease – No medical treatment: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2011/09/13/there-is-no-cure-and-little-money-to-solve-alzheimers-disease/#bd5d8b210649
Alzheimer’ disease – treatment by physical exercise: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease
What is AR (Augmented Reality) – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality
What is VR (Virtual Reality): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality
