UT Engineering Students and Alzheimer's Tennessee Developing Computer Technology to Help Dementia Sufferers With Brain Function

Alzheimer's Tennessee is working with the University of Tennessee College of Engineering on computer simulations to help people with dementia, reports NBC 10 News . "Eventually we think that it may have certainly application for people with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or people with early stage Alzheimer's," said Alzheimer's Tennessee CEO Janice Wade-Whitehead. The technology is a virtual program that exercises the brain by letting users simulate things like driving a car, with all movements controlled by thought. A headpiece quantifies brain signals to help enhance memory and attention in people with cognitive problems. Wade-Whitehead notes, "It may help them as well as helping researchers really understand the brain and how we can strengthen and kind of repair." Clinical trials for the technology are scheduled to begin next year, and Alzheimer's Tennessee hopes to extend the program to more users once it is fully developed.