At the crossroads of the human and the technological sits the fast-growing field of digital health. At Danone Research & Innovation (R&I), our Digital Health team is developing pioneering tools to support people around the world. One of our latest digital innovations? A free, interactive, online brain assessment to increase awareness of brain health, spark important conversations about memory loss, and help improve health outcomes.
Mild cognitive impairment: A hidden challenge
Globally, 100 million people are thought to be living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), where a person’s brain function declines with minimal impact on their normal daily functioning.
“Early diagnosis of MCI is key, since starting to treat it as soon as possible can help delay its progression,” explains Ricardo Yoshioka, Global Memory and Conditions of Aging Lead “However, because the condition is often mistaken for a normal part of the aging process, half of MCI cases are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by physicians.”
One reason for this is that healthcare professionals (HCPs) do not routinely carry out memory assessments, unless prompted by the patient. Now, with Danone R&I’s Neurowyzr Brain Score tool, we aim to change this – by helping to initiate the cognitive conversation between patients and HCPs and to support early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
What is Neurowyzr Brain Score?
This innovative tool is made up of three digital neuroscience puzzles that assess memory, attention, and executive function. The assessment takes just three to five minutes to complete, after which the user immediately receives a personalized report explaining their Neurowyzr Brain Score. The tool also provides further information for the patient’s HCP, such as recommendations on how to improve specific areas of cognitive health. It also gives advice on medical nutrition specifically designed to support patients with cognitive impairment and even Alzheimer’s disease, which is a more serious neurological condition characterized by the abnormal accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain
While the tool is not intended to diagnose brain conditions, nor to replace formal assessments, Neurowyzr Brain Score is a shortened and free-to-use version of the clinically validated, Food and Drug Administration-registered, Digital Brain Function Screen (DBFS).
“Simple and efficient yet accurate, our Neurowyzr Brain Score correlates highly with the DBFS,” says Sze–Yunn Pang, Neurowyzr CEO. “What’s more, the assessments can be done quickly at home or during a consultation, stimulating crucial conversations about MCI and memory loss between patients and physicians.”
The pilot takes flight
Phase one of the Neurowyzr Brain Score pilot was launched in Singapore and Australia in 2024, with the Digital Health team expecting feedback at the end of the year. In the meantime, we are already preparing to expand the tool’s reach, with the global roll-out planned during the first half of 2025.
“We’re excited to move to phase two of the pilot, adding new features such as cognitive games, physical exercises, psychoeducation on lifestyle, and self-monitoring functionality,” says Nicolas Kazoglou, Digital Health Project Manager at Danone R&I. “These activities will be packaged within a structured 12-week program, adapted from the renowned Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), a multidomain lifestyle intervention program to improve brain health.”
Combining a user-friendly experience with digitally powered insights based on clinically validated solutions, the Neurowyzr Brain Score tool promotes awareness and encourages important social dialogues about MCI. In turn, this innovation from Danone R&I not only empowers consumers to take a proactive approach to brain health, but also enables HCPs to support patients with targeted treatments for more positive outcomes.
Curious to learn more? Visit https://neurowyzr.com.
Neurowyzr Brain Score is a collaborative effort between Danone R&I Digital Health and Danone Specialized Nutrition.
- Digital Health team: Nicolas Kazoglou, Jill Wong
- Specialized Nutrition team: Ricardo Yoshioka, Julia Tolra, Tomasz Rudka, Romain Hoffman