EMCI: A Novel EEG-Based Mental Workload Assessment Index of Mild Cognitive Impairment

As aging deepens, early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is increasingly important to prevent Alzheimer Dementia (AD) and improve the quality of life of older adults. In recent years, a large number of studies focus on the abnormal brain cognitive function of MCI, while ignoring the quantitative evaluation of MCI's mental workload. In this study, we propose a workload index for MCI screening, named EMCI, which is a linear discriminant cumulative estimate of subjects' electroencephalography (EEG) power spectra in $\boldsymbol {\alpha }$ and $\boldsymbol {\beta }$ rhythms. Then, we design a matched prototype system to verify the effectiveness of EMCI. The results show that the EMCI is sensitive to changes of subjects' mental workload, and is significantly lower in MCI than in HC (Health control), which may be precisely caused by cognitive dysfunction. The proposed EMCI index can be used for online assessment of mental workload in older adults, which can help achieve quick screening of MCI and provide a critical window for clinical treatment interventions.