Partnership in Research
BrainFx is proud of its partnership with Saint Elizabeth Health, participating Ontario Family Health Teams, and Wilfrid Laurier University on a research study focused on evaluating BrainFx’s SCREEN with Ontario’s age 55+ population. Together we have come together to form a Health Innovation Team under the Health Technology Fund, through the Ontario Centres of Excellence. Our Health Innovation Team is recruiting older adults connected to participating family health teams who are interested in learning more about their brain health.
The problem with early detection and how BrainFx can help
Concerns such as memory difficulties can be experienced by Ontario’s aging population but only 19% will self report their concerns to their doctor. Clinicians working with this population are seeking valid and reliable assessments of neurofunction that are sensitive enough to detect even early changes in functional cognition noticed by older adults, their caregivers, or other healthcare providers. Such early changes are often more apparent in the context of functional activity and can be missed through traditional standardized clinical assessments.
Having the potential to detect the milder forms of cognitive impairment or other comorbidities is essential for early intervention. Detection invites opportunities to find and treat reversible explanations or at least can assist in minimizing the impact on a person’s quality of life when reversing decline is not possible. Given a decline in neurofunction can not only impact the person directly but also their care partners, family and friends, early detection provides an opportunity for improving health outcomes and reducing stress for more than just the individual.
To promote brain health, there are a number of ways of reducing risks through lifestyle modification. Mild cognitive impairment is a health indicator that can signal the future onset of cognitive deterioration that may lead to various forms of dementia. Detecting the warning signs early is paramount to enabling early intervention and promoting a higher quality of life for at risk older adults, to have a targeted care plan and engage the right supports at the right time.
In this two-year partnership, the Health Innovation Team is implementing the BrainFx SCREEN into primary health care settings. Occupational Therapists will use the BrainFx SCREEN to follow a person’s neurofunction over time while also completing a traditional paper and pencil cognitive screen for comparison to usual practice. In addition, the research team will evaluate ease of adoption, clinical workflows, and economic feasibility.
Understanding the importance of brain health for overall health and to reduce the associated stigma will become increasingly important as our population continues to age. We envision a future where monitoring brain health is simply part of your annual physical health check.
This is just one way at BrainFx where we are working to unlock how your brain functions to improve everyday life.