Information Technologies for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Elderly: A Survey

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) ranks among the most common types of dementia, marked by memory loss, diminished learning capacity, disrupted emotional regulation, and other adverse effects. High mortality and costs count among its consequences. There is a larger proportion of elderly people among Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients. Thus, great importance is attached to the early detection and diagnosis of AD in the elderly. This paper mainly reviews state-of-the-art information technologies for detecting AD at the early stage and discusses their advantages and drawbacks. Numerous detection approaches using neuroimaging techniques, computer-aided cognitive tests, and intelligent sensing technologies are described. Moreover, facial expression recognition based on computer vision for AD screening is highlighted as well. Currently, the biggest challenge in early detection of AD is developing a low-cost and time-saving method. Finally, the paper compares various methods and points out future directions of research.