Digital Therapeutics for Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Design of a Mobile Health Program

Background: For patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a multidomain intervention that integrates physical activity, cognitive training, and dietary intervention is necessary to delay cognitive decline. The proliferation of smartphones, software development, and online service improvements now enable the delivery of online intervention programs and the concurrent collection of patient-generated data. This paper aims to report on a protocol for developing a smartphone-based multidomain intervention tailored to the level of patients with MCI. Methods: Our program targeted patients with MCI aged 60-79. The physical activity domain provides training that is appropriate for the patient's strength and fitness levels. The cognitive training uses both verbal and nonverbal stimuli to stimulate various domains of cognitive function. It was designed to match tasks to the patient's abilities, promoting motivational growth. Dietary interventions were designed to enable patients to plan their diet and learn to adopt appropriate eating habits. Results: We designed and organized a screen for home aerobic exercise, story quizzes, nonverbal cognitive training, and memory diary screens. Conclusions: We developed a smartphone application-based multidomain intervention program to delay cognitive decline in patients with MCI. We will verify its efficacy in future clinical trials.