"Hand in Hand for Health"-Launch Event for Public Awareness and Training on Dementia Prevention and Treatment in Older Adults Successfully Held in Northwest China
On the morning of March 29, the Northwest Regional Launch Conference for the "Hand-in-Hand for Health Promotion-Public Awareness and Training Campaign on the Prevention and Treatment of Dementia in the Elderly," initiated by the China Health Promotion Foundation, was successfully held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Leading experts in neurology and cognitive impairment from the five provinces and regions of Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang gathered to discuss strategies for the prevention and treatment of dementia in the elderly across the region.
Currently, China's population is aging at an accelerating rate, and the incidence of dementia and related cognitive disorders among the elderly is rising year by year. This has become a major public health challenge and social issue that seriously threatens the physical and mental well-being of the elderly, significantly increases the burden on family caregivers, and hinders the high-quality development of elderly healthcare services.
The China Health Promotion Foundation has launched the "Hand in Hand for Health Promotion-Public Awareness and Training Campaign on the Prevention and Treatment of Dementia in the Elderly" to fully implement the core requirements of the "National Action Plan for Addressing Dementia in the Elderly (2024–2030)," jointly issued by the National Health Commission and 14 other departments. Through this public awareness and training initiative, the campaign aims to enhance scientific understanding of dementia in the elderly and improve early intervention capabilities across all sectors of society.
Dr. Qu Qiumin, Vice President of the Cognitive Impairment Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society, Vice Chair of the Alzheimer's Disease Branch of the China Association of Geriatric Health Care, Dean of the Northwest Cognitive Institute, and Director at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, provided a detailed introduction to the "Hand in Hand for Health Promotion-Dementia Prevention and Control Education and Training Plan for the Northwest Region." outlining a clear framework for dementia prevention and control education and training in the Northwest region. This framework will guide local areas in conducting such initiatives in a scientific and standardized manner, while regularly organizing both online and offline training activities. Centered on prefecture-level cities, the initiative aims to gradually achieve comprehensive coverage across the region.
According to Qu Qiumin, the initiative in the Northwest region will, for the first time, incorporate innovative technological equipment to establish a new system for the prevention and treatment of dementia in the elderly based on brain-computer interface technology. This will facilitate a shift from passive diagnosis and treatment to active prevention, thereby advancing the frontiers of prevention and treatment.
Qu Qiumin pointed out that brain-computer interface technology is not only a form of human-computer interaction but also a crucial bridge connecting "precise assessment" with "closed-loop intervention." In terms of screening, the cognitive impairment screening system integrates internationally recognized scales, non-invasive EEG data collection, and AI-based risk assessment to form a multidimensional, traceable diagnostic evidence support system. This will drive a shift in the diagnostic paradigm from an empirical "process of elimination" to an objective "chain of evidence." In terms of intervention, memory impairment training devices utilizing brain-computer interface technology allow users to control game progression through thought, thereby activating the prefrontal cortex. This enhances multidimensional cognitive abilities-including memory, attention, and computational skills-slows the progression of neuronal damage, and provides a new non-pharmacological intervention pathway for neurodegenerative diseases.
Qu Qiumin emphasized that the "prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and care" system, built upon various advanced technologies and equipment, enables closed-loop screening, intervention, and efficacy evaluation for the prevention and treatment of dementia in the elderly, as well as visual process management and data-driven rehabilitation tracking. This facilitates the establishment of a multi-tiered service network covering medical institutions, elderly care centers, and home settings, thereby promoting the inclusive development of the prevention and treatment system.
Following the kick-off meeting, representatives from the National Health Commission's Neurology Residency Training Base, the Qinghai Branch of the National Clinical Center for Geriatric Diseases, the Northwest Cognitive Academy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Gansu Provincial People's Hospital, the Qinghai Provincial Clinical Center for Geriatric Diseases, the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Hospital, Tangdu Hospital of the Air Force Medical University, and the Department of Neurology at Xianyang Hospital of Yan'an University-conducted on-site inspections and research on the "screening + diagnosis + training + treatment" full-cycle closed-loop management system for dementia in the elderly. They praised this cutting-edge technology for its contribution to the prevention and treatment of dementia.
It is reported that the initiative in the Northwest region will use public welfare training as a connecting thread to integrate the entire chain of policy implementation, knowledge dissemination, skill enhancement, and technology empowerment. This will gradually address gaps in dementia prevention and control in the Northwest, advance preventive measures, extend scientific prevention and treatment concepts to more communities and families across the region, help more elderly people avoid the distress of cognitive impairment, and safeguard a happy and fulfilling later life.