The healthcare industry is witnessing a surge in the development of non-pharmacological interventions to assist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and low-dose radiation systems. (Image courtesy of Think Good Brain)
SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – The healthcare industry is witnessing a surge in the development of non-pharmacological interventions to assist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and low-dose radiation systems.
Radicure, a company specializing in dementia-dedicated digital X-ray systems, has partnered with Neurophet, a brain disorder imaging AI solution firm, to create software aimed at determining the optimal timing for digital X-ray therapy and predicting treatment outcomes for patients with early-stage dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
The collaborative effort will see the integration of this software into Radicure’s dementia medical device prototype, Helaxon, which is currently under development. Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for approximately 70% of senile dementia cases, is a degenerative neurological disorder.
Traditional drug treatments target the elimination of beta-amyloid, a protein implicated in the disease’s pathology. However, these treatments do not fundamentally restore cognitive functions and carry the risk of side effects.
In contrast, non-drug interventions for Alzheimer’s aim to slow cognitive decline through cognitive training and rehabilitation, physical exercise, music therapy, and reminiscence therapy.
Notably, South Korean healthcare startups are focusing on developing and commercializing products that enhance cognitive abilities through non-drug means. Roaigen, a service robot company, markets My Bom, a home robot designed to provide caregiving services to patients with mild Alzheimer’s.
My Bom is an AI-powered robot capable of expressing emotions and engaging in conversation with users. It also provides medication reminders, emergency response, and cognitive training services through gamified activities.
Roaigen’s CEO, Park Sung-ki, emphasized the need for cognitive and emotional assistants to complement drug therapies for the 60% of dementia patients with mild conditions. “My Bom can help delay the progression of mild dementia,” Park said.
The Think Good Brain Research Institute is developing smart cognitive rehabilitation programs for the elderly facing social isolation and dementia in the super-aging society.
Among its developments, the cognitive enhancement game “National Brain Contest” was selected as a battle game at last year’s Seoul Mayor’s “Senior Smart Festa” and has been supplied to numerous senior welfare facilities.
Live-Lively offers healthcare exercise content for patients with mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and physical disabilities, aiding in cognitive and physical rehabilitation.
In the absence of a definitive cure for Alzheimer’s, combining non-drug therapies with existing treatments could enhance cognitive function improvement.
Professor Kim Ki-woong from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at Seoul National University suggests that akin to diabetes patients benefiting from a combination of medication, exercise, and diet, Alzheimer’s treatment could see significant gains from integrating drug therapies with cognitive training and blood flow improvement exercises.
This prospect indicates the potential development of various non-drug interventions in the future.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
