A research team led by Dr. Ada Wai Tung FUNG, Assistant Professor at Department of Applied Social Sciences, has received a grant of HK$449,000 from the government’s competitive Innovation and Technology Fund for Better Living (FBL), for the project entitled “Hong Kong - Vigilance and Memory Test (HKVMT) to enhance detection of early cognitive impairments in preclinical phase”. Members of the team include our Deputy Project Coordinator Dr. Kevin Chan, and Dr. Newman Lau (SD), Ir Alex Choy (IC).
To address the needs of care, supports, and proactive management in elderly with early and subtle cognitive impairments who have not yet reached the diagnostic level, the team are aiming to develop a computerised cognitive screening test to help frontline social workers and allied healthcare staff easily differentiate the elderly with early cognitive deficits from normal cognitive ageing. Dr. FUNG said, “The system will facilitate elderly centres in effective resources allocation to the at-risk group for cognitive training, we hope this project will benefit more elderly people in the future.”
The FBL, launched by the Innovation and Technology Bureau in 2017, is a scheme for funding innovation and technology (“I&T”) projects which make people’s daily living more convenient, comfortable and safer, or address the needs of specific community groups.
