A three-minute iPad test could help doctors in the UAE spot early signs of dementia, an expert from the UK said.
Dr Sina Habibi, co-founder and chief executive of Cognetivity Neurosciences, a technology company developing a cognitive testing platform, told The National the test could help doctors to diagnose mental deterioration, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis 15 years before patients start showing symptoms.
A rapid screen test checks the speed and accuracy of a person’s thinking by asking them to select pictures with animals from a series of images.
This test activates a lot of the brain at the same time, which gives a more accurate outcome for doctors
The programme was developed in the UK by Dr Habibi and his co-professor Dr Seyed-Mahdi Khaligh-Razavi at the University of Cambridge, with support from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the NHS.
They hope to make the technology available in the UAE soon .
It has been successfully trialled by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, which tested thousands of people.
The Integrated Cognitive Assessment (ICA) delivers a score out of 100 to determine if someone is healthy, at risk, or impaired.
Because the ICA stimulates more parts of the brain than existing tests, it is more sensitive to deterioration.
“Before functional MRI machines, we did not know what was going on in the brain and had to wait until someone died before we could investigate,” said Dr Habibi, who has a PhD in nanobiotechnology.
“The breakthrough in neuroimaging allowed us to put someone in a machine and ask them to complete a task so we could see which part of their brain was active.
“By looking at human vision, we could see how the brain interprets images.
“Eyes are like a camera, but the understanding of what is inside the image is done in the brain.
“Our research revealed a specific response to animals.”
Animals are integral to mankind and the development of the human brain, so they elicit a clear instinctive response.
This can then be measured to assess healthy brain function, allowing doctors to prescribe relevant steps to delay the potential onset of dementia.
An individual age-dependent score is compared with thousands of previous tests where dementia may have been diagnosed to check someone’s mental alertness.
Artificial intelligence then compares and predicts the likelihood that the individual will also develop the condition.
The test will be made available only for health professionals to screen patients who may be showing signs of mental deterioration, such as forgetfulness or confusion.
“The beauty is there is no language, cultural or education bias,” Dr Habibi said.
“It could be used in China tomorrow, for example, where dementia has only recently been widely recognised.
“Other tests that look at logic, short and long-term memory tests that can last up to 45 minutes are not good at picking up subtle brain changes.
“This test activates a lot of the brain at the same time, which gives a more accurate outcome for doctors.”
Existing tests for mental function, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) taken by former US president Donald Trump, were criticised as outdated and time-consuming.
Created by Canadian neurologist Dr Ziad Nasreddine, MoCa asks 30 questions and takes 30 minutes to complete.
The assessment faces criticism for being overly sensitive when compared with shorter mental status assessments.
Dr Anantha Guruswamy, a specialist neurologist at NMC Specialty Hospital Abu Dhabi, uses a similar minimum mental score assessment to check dementia.
“Dementia is like an ocean with varying cognitive decline,” he said.
“Patients are usually elderly with a strong family history of the condition and are referred if they have experienced forgetfulness or confusion.
“We have different kinds of assessment, usually by speaking with the patient or caregiver directly about their experiences.
“In outpatient clinics, assessments need to be quick and reliable to give us a wider view of the patient’s mental deficit.”
By establishing who may be more predisposed to dementia, doctors can prescribe healthy lifestyle changes to delay the onset or reduce the risk altogether.
It includes cutting down on alcohol and caffeine, sleeping better, reducing air and noise pollution, and generally improving lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Previous head injuries and genetics are also linked to dementia.
“The challenge is early detection and intervention,” Dr Guruswamy said.
“While there is no specific treatment, we can delay the onset of symptoms and reduce progression of the disease if we catch it early enough.”
Dementia care costs about $500 billion globally every year and is expected to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to the US Global Brain Health Institute.
Experts said early diagnosis has the potential to save $118,000 per patient.
Annual NHS dementia costs in the UK run at about £26.3 billion, with otherwise healthy adults often needing round-the-clock specialist care.
“We are putting a lot of emphasis into early diagnosis at the moment,” said Dr Carol Routledge, director of research at Alzheimer Research UK.
“This test can be done annually and is so sensitive it could take diagnoses back 15 years.
“If someone is pre-symptomatic, they can then be triaged to receive further tests and treatment at an earlier stage.”
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
