Contemporary Digital Technologies and Neuroenhancement Techniques in Cognitive Rehabilitation: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions

Description

Sheetal Musale and Apeksha Lokam (Department of Psychology, School of Vedic Sciences, MIT ADT University, Pune, Maharashtra)

The increasing prevalence of cognitive disorders will also continue to increase their contribution to overall mortality. As the challenges and their severity associated with cognitive disorders continue to increase, so too will the need for an increased reliance on technology for early detection, tracking, treatment of, and management of cognitive disorders. Previous research has shown that digital technologies have proven to be effective means of enhancing cognitive function, as well as managing symptoms, encouraging cognitive resilience and delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease, among other benefits to individuals living with cognitive disorders. Throughout this present review of the literature, there was evidence that there are issues regarding usability, security, accessibility, and ethical concerns related to data privacy for digital health technologies (Fadahunsi et al., 2021; Katusiime & Pinkwart, 2019). In addition to the fact that only 45% of studies published in the literature report usability of digital health technologies, 38% of studies highlight the need for further research on these crucial topics. Further investigations should focus on carefully conducted longitudinal research and on promoting inter- and multidisciplinary collaborations to ensure the safe and effective implementation of digital health tools in clinical settings (Guo et al., 2020; Nielsen & Sahay, 2022). In addition, the use of emerging technologies (e.g. wearable devices, artificial intelligence, & advanced neurostimulation) in cognitive rehabilitation represents a significant shift in the management of cognitive impairment. Additional research is necessary to ascertain the ethical considerations. The emerging focus area is identified as safety protocols.