Idea Outline
SYMAA is a new system for storing personal memory flows into safe digital archives that can be later accessed and used by citizens and carers to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate cases of Alzheimer and other degenerative neurological illnesses.

The Challenge
The recent evolution of new technologies for the digitalization and archiviation of data (images, videos, text), together with the development of cloud network infrastructures, smart systems for real time aquisition of videos and image flows (lifeblogging), and innovative systems based on augmented and immersive reality interfaces, is giving birth to a whole new set of possibilities to create and re-use digital personal memory archives. Our challenge is to use these opportunities for social good: we want to develop a system for storing personal memories and emotional experiences in formats that can be later used in non-pharmacological treatment of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer.

The Solution

Our aim is to develop a system that uses cutting edge multimedia technologies (based on mobile devices and smart technologies such as google glasses) and personal memory archives to support the early treatment of Alzheimer and other neurological diseases. We will refer to existing clinical studies on the use of memory stimulation techniques with Alzheimer patients, and study the archiviation criteria that are needed in order to produce multimedia data banks that can be used scientifically in clinical paths. Subsequently, we will develop the necessary algorithms and softwares needed to activate and reproduce the memory flows and mental associations in the context of structured treatment paths. With Chest funding we will refine the concept and collect initial data.

Target group and social impact
Alzheimer is an growing issue, afflicting not only the elderly population, but also increasingly the youth. New technologies open up promising scenarios for developing innovative protocols of prevention and care that could fight against this and other neurological diseases. The target group of SYMAA will comprise people with Alzehimer from different age groups and early stages of the disease, and will take into consideration their broader health profiles as well as their different habits and capabilities in relation to the use of modern techonologies. The target will include also patients’ relatives and carers, and health/social welfare intitutions working on this topic.




Competences of the applicant
Koinè is a social enterprise that has been working for 20 years in cure, care, and rehabilitation of not self-sufficient eldery persons, with a particular focus on those affected by neurological syndroms such as senile dementia. Koiné will collaborate with external resources from different backgrounds (ICT, health, business) to carry out the study.