Have you got brain fog? Concerned about getting dementia? There's now an app for that. 

Last Thursday 13 October, Dementia Australia launched a free mobile app, BrainTrack, that helps you to privately monitor and better understand suspected changes in your cognition. 

If you have concerns, you can share the results with your GP – which might allay your fears or help you get an earlier dementia diagnosis so that you can manage it on your own terms. 

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM said BrainTrack helps individuals explore common cognitive concerns and provides brain health information through fun, travel-themed games that have been adapted from validated cognitive testing.  

“Users are prompted to log-in monthly to play the games and within the app can easily generate a pdf report of the results that can be emailed to their GP,” Ms McCabe said. 

“While not intended to replace a formal cognitive assessment, BrainTrack supports the early identification of cognitive changes over time that may warrant further testing.”  

Dementia is not one specific disease but rather an umbrella term for a large group of illnesses which cause a progressive decline in a person’s mental functioning.  

Although most people who are diagnosed dementia are over 65, it is not a normal part of ageing and not all older people will get it. 

In Australia, around 487,500 are living with dementia and 1.6million are involved in their care. Without a major medical breakthrough, this figure is expected to  increase to more than 1 million people by 2058. 

In NSW, the age-standardised rate of adults diagnosed with dementia is 0.9 per 100 and some communities in our own western plains area have much higher rates than this.  

In particular, Cobar 1.2, Coonamble and Bourke 1.3 and Brewarrina 1.4 have rates far higher than the state average while others such as Narromine, Bogan and Gilgandra shires sit below. 

Census figures from 2021 show that across the 11 local government areas from Lachlan to Walgett and from Warrumbungle to Cobar there are 373 people who are living with diagnosed dementia. 

Data source: Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU), Torrens University Australia. Social health atlas, Census 2021.

“I encourage everyone interested in exploring more about their brain health to download BrainTrack and for GPs and other treating healthcare professionals to encourage their patients who have concerns about their cognition to do so too,” Ms McCabe said. 

“With up to half a million Australians living with dementia – which is projected to increase to 1.1 million people by 2058 – improving early diagnosis must be a priority.” 

Isabelle Burke cared for her mother, whose diagnosis experience stretched out over many years, impacting on her mother Christine’s quality of life and that of her brother and sister. 

“Mum was misdiagnosed for many years and later prescribed antipsychotics which added to the issues,” Ms Burke said.  

“If we had known it was dementia, we would’ve been able to get the right support earlier for our Mum and spend her final years cherishing our time with her creating memories together. Instead by the time she was diagnosed she required full-time care and sadly, died aged just 59 in 2019.” 

BrainTrack has been awarded a research grant by the Medical Research Future Fund - Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care initiative which will evaluate its use and whether it’s associated with improvements in knowledge and help-seeking in relation to brain health. 

 

Professor Alison Hutchinson, School of Nursing and Midwifery and Director of the Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research in the Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University said to be able to explore delaying decline, dementia needs to be diagnosed early.  

“However, up to 76 per cent of Australians diagnosed with dementia have already advanced beyond the early stage by the time of their diagnosis,” Prof Hutchinson said. 

“If we find using BrainTrack increases awareness of brain health and prompts individuals to seek help for cognitive concerns then many vulnerable Australians may be supported earlier. 

“There is also an opportunity offered on downloading BrainTrack to consider volunteering to contribute to research about the app and its impact.” 

BrainTrack is available for download for free through the Apple App Store or Google Play.

For more information, please visit Dementia Australia or call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.