Japanese firms Eisai Co. and EcoNaviSta Inc. have entered into a business alliance agreement and commenced collaboration with the aim of building an ecosystem in the area of dementia, which is a pressing matter in Japan’s super-ageing society.

Eisai, a long-standing pioneer in the field of dementia having engaged in drug discovery and disease awareness activities, and EcoNaviSta, a frontrunner in SaaS-based care home monitoring systems used in nursing care, will utilise the know-how, technologies and networks held by both companies to promote proof-of-concept experiment to encourage awareness of changes in cognitive function among residents in care home facilities, through the use of Eisai’s digital check tool for brain health “NouKNOW", EcoNaviSta’s “Life Rhythm Navi”, which visualises the transition of health status from sleep and lifestyle data, and the “Dementia Prediction Model” developed and patented by EcoNaviSta.

Among Japan’s rapidly ageing population, large number of the elderly choose to move into care home facilities without nursing (non-assisted living) or condominiums aimed at seniors while they are still in relatively good health, which results in prolonged tenancies. In these types of residential facilities, there are limited opportunities to interact with nursing-related staff, as these accommodations generally come without care services. Consequently, these residents have few opportunities for changes in their cognitive function to be noticed, and conditions such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia, are often identified only after significant progression.

The aim of this proof-of-concept experiment is to address the aforementioned issues, targeting facilities that have already introduced Life Rhythm Navi (up to 200), by utilising the products to detect and suggest changes in the cognitive function of residents at an early stage, leading to the detection of potential MCI and dementia.

Moreover, by leveraging strength of both companies, Eisai and EcoNaviSta will conduct joint research aimed at the early detection of MCI and dementia even in healthy seniors, and consider the potential application of the dementia prediction model in the field of home care.