PROJECT:EVO

CONTENT
Project:EVO is an IOS game developed by Akili Interactive Labs that can be used to detect and track the development of
Alzheimers disease in elderly. The developers designed a cutting-edge cognitive gaming engine with 3 separate goals. The
first goal includes a one-time assessment in order to map an individual baseline measurement of cognitive control. A second
goal focusses on tracking the cognitive status of patients over time. This way therapists can evaluate and understand the
effect of several interventions and therapies on the patients brain function. The third goals aims to improve patients neural
functioning and cognitive symptoms by using a multitasking cognitive trainer that provides a targeted way to improve a
patients cognition and disease symptoms through at-home videogame play.
In collaboration with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals the game will be tested in a study to validate the ability of the Project:EVO
platform to serve as a biomarker or cognitive endpoint for individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
This innovative study is the first in which a pharmaceutical company is using a video game to detec t a major disease.
The study will begin recruitment in 2014, where they aim to evaluate 100 healthy elderly individuals both with and
without amyloid in their brains, because amyloids are the main component of brain plaques and a risk factor for developing
Alzheimers disease. Essentially, researchers will look for specific differences in performance and improvement between
the two populations over the course of a month. The game, and thus the results, adjusts for each persons baseline video
gaming playing abilities. They hope that specific performance characteristics can be used as a biomarker, or early
indication of Alzheimers, which could among other things help in identifying at-risk populations for future clinical trials and
drug development.

CONCLUSION
The Project: EVO platform is currently being tested in a variety of clinical studies in multiple patient po pulations
in order to find out if an iOS game can detect and track the development of Alzheimers disease. The platform is also
tested in other clinical studies concerning other diseases like ADHD, Autism, Depression and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Game

Cognitive gaming engine

Developers

Akili

Platform

Tablet

Release Date

2014

Keywords

Alzheimers disease, Diagnose, Cognitive status,

Neurological functioning, Tracking, Training,
Possibilities, Validation Test , Mild Cognitive
Impairment, Screening
http://www.brain.akiliinteractive.com/

Study & Size

Comparison study
100 participants

Online game

No

Website

Subject
Target Population

REFERENCES
0

Alzheimers Disease
Elderly