Korean J Geriatr Gerontol.  2023 Apr;24(1):34-40. 10.15656/kjcg.2023.24.1.34.

National Research and Development (R&D) Status of Digital Therapeutics for Dementia Patients in Korea

• Yoon UY
• Kim Y

• KMID: 2566351
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15656/kjcg.2023.24.1.34

Abstract

Backgroud: Dementia management is driving interest in digital therapeutics. Advanced countries have recently implemented research and development (R&D) to enhance the launch of the digital therapeutics market; however, the R&D status of digital therapeutics in Korea still needs to be discovered. This study aims to analyze the R&D status of digital therapeutics for patients with dementia and considered the direction of related national projects.
Methods
This study analyzed the R&D projects for dementia-related digital therapeutics from 2010 to 2022.
Results
Among the 34 projects corresponding to the study criteria, the Ministry of Science and Information & Communications Technology was the most active, with 28 projects and an investment of 23.7 billion KRW. The most used keywords were Cognition, "System," "Diagnosis," "Data," "Treatment," "Prevention," "Artificial Intelligence," "Evaluation," "Platform," "Brain," "Content," "Early," "Arbitration," "Virtual reality," and "Daily life". The national R&D projects focused on virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Seoul emerged as the most common location, with most participating researchers being male engineers holding a bachelor’s degree.
Conclusion
This study aims to analyze the current state of R&D in digital therapeutics for patients with dementia in Korea, with a specific focus on virtual reality and artificial intelligence. While digital therapeutics show potential as a viable solution for dementia management, challenges such as establishing clear indications for digital therapeutics and addressing the shortage of specialized personnel still remain. Therefore, additional research and workforce development are necessary.

Keyword

Cognition; Dementia; Digital technology; Geriatrics; Therapeutics