JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital health technologies offer new opportunities for cognitive screening and monitoring among older adults. In Thailand, where dementia prevalence is rising, accessible web-based cognitive tools remain limited despite their potential to facilitate early detection and community-based assessment. Understanding usability and validity is critical to ensure successful implementation in real-world contexts.

Objective:

This study aimed to develop and validate a web-based application, the Healthy Brain Test, for cognitive and functional assessment in dementia screening among older Thai adults. Specific objectives were to (1) design user-centered cognitive modules covering key cognitive domains, and (2) evaluate correlations between the web-based assessments and conventional clinical tools to determine diagnostic cutoffs for cognitive impairment.

Methods:

We designed the Healthy Brain Test as a self-administered web application suitable for older users and their caregivers. The platform includes digital versions of the Thai Mental State Examination (e-TMSE), a clock drawing test, and a category verbal fluency test, along with electronic versions of the short form of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE-16) and cognitive instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Participants completed both web-based and paper-based assessments. Correlations between modalities were analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine sensitivity and specificity. Data were analyzed using PASW Statistics version 18 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA).

Results:

A total of 198 older adults participated (69% female; median age 69.4 years), with 57.1% having more than 6 years of education. Of these, 44 were diagnosed with major neurocognitive disorder, 58 with mild neurocognitive disorder, and 96 were cognitively normal. The e-TMSE showed strong agreement with the traditional Thai Mental State Examination (r = 0.837; P < .001). Category verbal fluency, IQCODE-16, and IADL modules also demonstrated significant correlations (P < .001). The e-TMSE achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.84 (bootstrapped 95% CI 0.78–0.89); a cutoff of ≤23 provided 88.6% sensitivity and 70.1% specificity for identifying major neurocognitive disorder. Participants reported high ease of use and engagement during pilot testing.

Conclusions:

The Healthy Brain Test demonstrates strong validity and usability as a web-based cognitive and functional assessment platform for dementia screening. Its integration of established cognitive measures into a digital interface enables remote, accessible, and user-friendly evaluation for older adults and caregivers. Future research should assess long-term feasibility, user adherence, and integration with clinical workflows to support large-scale screening initiatives.