Music Activity, Biofeedback sensors and Artificial Intelligence = Window to Cognitive Health.
Music, notably piano playing, involves multiple sensory processing, comprehension, quasi-simultaneous decision making and action execution. Simply put, it is one of the best ways to evaluate brain functions and to train minds.
Our Products:
1) Ipsilon Cognitive Test
Web-based cognitive test and training app, ready for pilot tests in April, 2019. Expected launch in late June, 2019.
Non-stigmatizing, piano playing-based and fun cognitive training which also comes with cognitive assessment function, easy to implement as routine brain training activity for the elderly.
Features:
What it does: evaluate impulsiveness, quantify learning which can be used to assess brain functionalities.
What inputs/ outputs it assesses: comprehension (visuo-spatial/motor encoding) and time-stamped finger responses.
What advantage?: eliminates language biases. Elicit multi-sensory responses, monitoring capability of many brain regions and functionalities.
What value proposition?: compatible to research-grade biofeedback stimuli, can be combined with EEG and eye tracking.
Product availability: as an web-based app (software as service) for tablets.
2) Dementia Risk Assessment and Rhythmic Internalization Training add-on (expected to be ready for pilot in June, 2019)
Machine-learning algorithms to analyze the collected data and detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia.
It also calculates the likelihood of developing dementia.
Features:
What it does: detect cognitive abnormalities associated with MCI and early dementia, calculates likelihood of developing dementia.
What data does it use?: Data source is our Ipsilon Test.
What advantage?: MCI and early dementia are hard to detect. Music playing reveals slightest cognitive abnormalities.
What purpose?: To empower the dementia risk group to take charge of their minds, offering them the access to preventive care to delay onset.
Rhythmic internalization training is to train our users for stress management and performance optimization by controlling one's mood and focus.
What it does: training how to calm down or how to raise tension to optimize focus using rhythmic stimulation.
What device used?: Besides tablet, there will be plug-in capability with Apple Watch and/or equivalent to monitor stress level.
What purpose?: to reduce anxiety and stress, to intentionally control one's focus to optimize performance at various settings (e.g. public speaking).
3) Digital Cognitive Markers = Ipsilon Cognitive Test combined with Biofeedback data analysis algorithms
We are testing machine-learning algorithms to create more reliable digital cognitive markers when biofeedback (EEG & eye tracking) devices are used together with our Ipsilon Cognitive Test (small-scale control group test expected from 1Q 2020).
Targeted conditions:
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD);
Parkinson's Disease/ Lewy Body Dementia; mTBI (concussion) and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy);
Schizophrenia
Targeted markets:
Pharmaceuticals' drug R&Ds for neurodegenerative diseases
Aging market
Insurance (elderly cognitive fitness for driving; quantitative dementia threshold for insurance-related products)
What it does: create user's cognitive profile in comparison to Average (control group) and illness-specific cognitive markers.
What do users get?: Individual cognitive data into a profile as well as risk assessment how close their responses are to illness-specific markers.
What does it do?: illness-specific biofeedback data into comparable patterns and thresholds by algorithms.
What is your advantage?: Cognitive responses reveal neurological and neuropsychiatric abnormalities at much earlier stage than structural abnormalities revealed by medical imaging techniques (e.g. MRI, PET). Quantitative, thus numeric thresholds can be made.
Side effect?: No. Non-invasive.
When available?: R&D planned from 1Q 2019 for a year with the partnership with another startup and Utrecht Medical Center, expected availability for further clinical trials in 1Q, 2020.
Our One Pager and Investor Deck are available upon request.
One-pager can be seen at Slideshare of Yayoi Sakaki, Founder and inventor.
We are in preparation for patent filing with our models and methodologies.
We are/ have been mentored through incubators/accelerator at:
InnoLabs 2nd Open Call Accelerator through delivering partner, Norway Health Tech, November, 2018 to August, 2019)
HighTechXL accelerator, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (http://www.hightechxl.com/), September 4 to December 6, 2017
ENDuRE Project (University of Pisa, www.endureproject.eu/), May 30, 2016 to June 11, 2016
Erasmus Center for Entrepreneurship (http://ece.nl/), May 6, 2016 to July 1, 2016
key words: aging, Alzheimer's, dementia, MCI, executive function, mental performance, brainwaves, music, piano, digital therapy, sensory stimulation, cognition, cognitive wellness, mindfulness.