Screening tool to flag mild cognitive impairment and early dementia in home healthcare
Official title: Development of a Screening Algorithm for Timely Identification of Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Dementia in Home Healthcare
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11377535 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI-based screening tool analyzes everyday speech during home healthcare visits to help identify older adults who may have mild cognitive impairment or early dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,983 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AG076808-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377535 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older receiving home healthcare who may be at risk for MCI or early dementia.
✕Less likely to help
People without cognitive impairment or those not interacting in voice-enabled home healthcare visits may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on a previous language-based screening approach to create an automated tool that listens to patient–nurse conversations and extracts voice, language, and interaction cues. It aims to identify signs of cognitive trouble early, using home healthcare audio data and simple, scalable software. If successful, the tool could help clinicians refer patients for further evaluation sooner, potentially before noticeable decline. The study emphasizes real-world use in home care settings and relies on advanced speech and language processing techniques.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive earlier diagnosis and access to treatment and support.
How similar studies have gone: Previous language-based screening approaches achieved high accuracy in detecting cognitive impairment on existing datasets and in real-world homecare interactions.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zolnoori, Maryam — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zolnoori, Maryam
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.