A Proposed Brain-, Spine-, and Mental-Health Screening Methodology (NEUROSCREEN) for Healthcare Systems: Position of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
1-1-2022
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated neurological, mental health disorders, and neurocognitive issues. However, there is a lack of inexpensive and efficient brain evaluation and screening systems. As a result, a considerable fraction of patients with neurocognitive or psychobehavioral predicaments either do not get timely diagnosed or fail to receive personalized treatment plans. This is especially true in the elderly populations, wherein only 16% of seniors say they receive regular cognitive evaluations. Therefore, there is a great need for development of an optimized clinical brain screening workflow methodology like what is already in existence for prostate and breast exams. Such a methodology should be designed to facilitate objective early detection and cost-effective treatment of such disorders. In this paper we have reviewed the existing clinical protocols, recent technological advances and suggested reliable clinical workflows for brain screening. Such protocols range from questionnaires and smartphone apps to multi-modality brain mapping and advanced imaging where applicable. To that end, the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) proposes the Brain, Spine and Mental Health Screening (NEUROSCREEN) as a multi-faceted approach. Beside other assessment tools, NEUROSCREEN employs smartphone guided cognitive assessments and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) as well as potential genetic testing for cognitive decline risk as inexpensive and effective screening tools to facilitate objective diagnosis, monitor disease progression, and guide personalized treatment interventions. Operationalizing NEUROSCREEN is expected to result in reduced healthcare costs and improving quality of life at national and later, global scales.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Journal of Alzheimer S Disease
Volume
86
Issue
1
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Nami, Mohammad, Robert Thatcher, Nasser Kashou, Dahabada Lopes, Maria Lobo, Joe F. Bolanos, Kevin Morris, Melody Sadri, Teshia Bustos, Gilberto E. Sanchez, Alena Mohd-Yusof, John Fiallos, Justin Dye, Xiaofan Guo, Nicholas Peatfield, Milena Asiryan, Alero Mayuku-Dore, Solventa Krakauskaite, Ernesto Palmero Soler, Steven C. Cramer, Walter G. Besio, Antal Berenyi, Manjari Tripathi, David Hagedorn, Morgan Ingemanson, Marinela Gombosev, Mark Liker, Yousef Salimpour, Martin Mortazavi, and Eric Braverman. "A Proposed Brain-, Spine-, and Mental-Health Screening Methodology (NEUROSCREEN) for Healthcare Systems: Position of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics." Journal of Alzheimer S Disease 86, 1 (2022). doi: 10.3233/JAD-215240.