Isaac John’s father used to be first identified with Parkinson’s illness in 2016. On the time, Issac used to be on a temporary sabbatical from his company lifestyles in Bengaluru whilst his father used to be running in Vapi, Gujarat. Witnessing his father battle with this neurodegenerative situation wasn’t simple.
Chatting with The Higher India, Issac recollects, “It all started with involuntary shaking of his palms with out any person being attentive to it. We waited for months prior to in the hunt for scientific enter. He used to be placed on a medication referred to as Syndopa that endured right through the remainder of his lifestyles along side sure nutrition dietary supplements. Whilst he labored for every other 12 months after his first prognosis, using a automobile used to be one of the vital first issues he needed to surrender, and therefore, his process as properly.”
After a while, Issac’s father used to be forced to transport to a small the town in Kerala and reside with their joint circle of relatives. Since then, they needed to interact in ‘secure control’ of his situation.
“We gained little steerage on what vitamin or everyday life would assist him cope higher. Dwelling in a small the town in Kerala, get admission to to high quality neurological mavens used to be additionally restricted. Our circle of relatives and I authorized the established order and slowly he withdrew from different social actions. He sought after to renew paintings somehow, however the shaking of the palms transferred to the legs as properly in a few years, and he needed to have anyone round for mobility round the home,” he recollects.
Past some extent, the medicine did little to make stronger his father’s high quality of lifestyles; seeing it go to pot like that regardless of the medicine had a profound have an effect on on Isaac. Tragically, he passed on to the great beyond in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the meantime, Rahul Krishnan, who comes from a big joint circle of relatives in Ernakulam, Kerala, additionally witnessed firsthand the struggles of loneliness and isolation amongst his older kin, specifically the ones coping with neurodegenerative stipulations. With the added pressure of the pandemic, there used to be information each day of anyone’s cognitive well being within the circle of relatives deteriorating.
Chatting with The Higher India, Rahul notes, “I come from a big joint circle of relatives in Kerala. Like me, lots of my cousins and buddies ventured clear of house in pursuit of higher tutorial and occupation potentialities. With the upward thrust of nuclear households, assembly elders turned into a once a year affair at absolute best. However witnessing the fast getting older and forgetfulness of our family members has all the time made me marvel why there aren’t any gear for early detection of reminiscence decline.”
“Whilst I inspired my father to play sudoku and remedy puzzle books to stay his thoughts sharp and energetic, I recognised a latent fear in nearly each circle of relatives like mine. The realisation that there’s a important hole in consciousness and get admission to to sources aimed toward working out and arresting cognitive decline served as a key driver at the back of the inception of ‘Ivory’,” he provides.
After assembly every different for the primary time in July 2022 all the way through a residency programme for aspiring marketers run by means of Antler, an early-stage project capitalist (VC) company, Issac and Rahul would come in combination to ascertain ‘Ivory’.
Based in October 2022, this Mumbai-based ‘age-tech’ startup is operating against redefining “the getting older enjoy” by means of that specialize in “higher mind well being thru neuroscience-backed tests, interactive video games, and personalized answers.”
Discovering not unusual floor
Rahul and Issac hail from other small cities in Kerala. Their shared enjoy of being away in metropolitan towns for his or her careers whilst their oldsters stayed again in Kerala turned into a key explanation why for them to bond over the issues of the aged that ended in Ivory’s founding.
“Our start line used to be to construct one thing that might assist oldsters really feel much less remoted and lonely as they stayed clear of their youngsters. All the way through the process our analysis, we understood that loneliness and isolation building up dangers of neurodegeneration by means of over 50%, particularly in collectivist societies like in India,” says Issac.
“This made us glance into this house extra carefully. The extra we spoke to other people, we realised shedding reminiscence used to be a standard fear that many of us vocalised however had little course on what to do about it. That’s how we zeroed in at the ache level of cognitive decline, which when no longer arrested early can briefly result in dementia,” he provides.
“Similar to how herbal ivory embodies resilience, sturdiness, and undying class, our startup empowers seniors to guide pleasant lives of their later years. It is also a homage to Kerala, our house state, the place majestic elephants are valuable as a part of our wealthy heritage,” says Rahul.
The size of the issue
In keeping with a September 2023 record in The Hindu, “Estimates in line with a up to date multi-centric find out about divulge a dementia incidence fee of seven.4% amongst the ones elderly 60 years and above, translating to just about 9 lakh Indians these days residing with dementia.”
The record is going on so as to add, “From an estimated 88 lakh in 2016, the incidence of dementia is projected to extend to at least one.7 crore by means of 2036. The find out about titled ‘Incidence of dementia in India: Nationwide and State estimates from a national find out about’ used to be revealed in July this 12 months [2023] in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, the magazine of the Alzheimer’s Affiliation.”
In keeping with mavens at Ivory, “Newest analysis estimates display that one particular person in India faces the chance of dementia each 20 seconds. Contributing components akin to loneliness, greater nuclear households and sedentary life have added to the issue.”
As in keeping with their analysis, “Newest studies display that circumstances have greater from an estimated 5.3 million in 2020 to eight.8 million in 2023. Moreover, adults elderly 50 to 70, even with delicate cognitive impairment, face a 1 in 3 probability of progressing to dementia inside 5 years, underscoring the pressing want for heightened discussion and motion in neuro well being.”
Talking at the topic, Issac, co-founder and CEO at Ivory, mentioned, “Traditionally, there was inadequate consideration and working out of dementia, particularly in India. The loss of symptom id gear blended with scant get admission to to high quality neurological recommendation on the proper time makes this a urgent drawback for each Indian family with an getting older father or mother. City seniors, specifically the ones residing on my own, face demanding situations in tracking their cognitive well being, exacerbated by means of [COVID-19] pandemic-induced isolation.”
Rahul, co-founder and leader product officer, Ivory, is going on so as to add, “At Ivory, we’re creating a pioneering platform devoted to the cognitive wellness of seniors and cultivating wholesome mind conduct. We provide a various vary of interactive content material, social video games, neuroscience-backed tests, and complete wellness programmes aimed toward improving cognitive well-being and mitigating the chance of brain-related diseases akin to dementia.”
Getting up to now, alternatively, hasn’t been simple. As Issac recollects, “Once we first met, there have been few able reckoners and analysis to be had for corporations who’re development in age-tech, specifically in India, so it used to be no longer imaginable to take any present learnings and follow them to the desires of seniors. That intended that we needed to experiment with more than one product ideas parallelly prior to zeroing down on what would in finding mass pain-point resonance.”
Entrepreneurship within the box of mind well being remains to be at a nascent degree. “As we constructed those learnings, we additionally realised that the VC ecosystem used to be nonetheless warming as much as this sector,” he says.
“Whilst within the final six months, many price range have stepped ahead to strengthen AgeTech corporations, 18 months in the past, we needed to construct conviction about the potential for the AgeTech house within the project ecosystem,” he provides. Suffice it to mention that Ivory effectively raised $500,000 (Rs 4.13 crore) in a investment spherical led by means of Capital A, an early-stage VC fund, in February 2024.
“With this fundraiser, we goal to bridge those gaps by means of providing a tech-driven platform that makes scientific gear and experience for higher mind well being obtainable to thousands and thousands,” says Issac.
Serving to seniors navigate mind well being
Dr Sumiti Saharan, a neuroscientist with over 15 years of enjoy in neurodegenerative problems and dementia analysis, says, “By way of 2050, one in 5 folks shall be aged in India. The urgency for cutting edge answers for dementia detection and control has change into plain. Proof-based answers like Ivory be offering a scalable and obtainable mechanism for redefining the dementia care adventure and empowering the aged to reside a wholesome lifestyles.”
So, how does Ivory assist senior voters navigate their mind well being?
In keeping with Rahul, “For the involved customers and their households who need to perceive if their reminiscence lapses are rigidity connected or one thing which warrants extra consideration, Ivory supplies the similar of your annual well being checkup to your mind. This checkup is finished thru cognitive tests and neuro-psychological critiques, which allow you to profile your mind well being standing and attainable cognitive impairment or dementia possibility.”
“Against this finish, we’ve partnered with Cognifit — a scientifically validated and main mind coaching and cognitive tests corporate — to offer a kick off point for assessments. Their battery of assessments were advanced with greater than twenty years of inputs and analysis,” he provides.
However, as Issac is going on to give an explanation for, “A cognitive check is simply one of the vital many inputs which pass into assessing anyone’s cognitive decline, as each person is exclusive relating to their cultural and sociological background. Those tests supply a cognitive record throughout more than a few talents, and publish that, extra focussed tests are performed. Therefore, each record that is going to the person is blended with a human interplay with a neuro counsellor to offer a holistic possibility evaluation. Neuropsychologists then use those studies in consonance with their subjective exam of the affected person to suggest selection lifestyle-based interventions.”
“Each and every neuropsychologist does make use of a third-party evaluation mechanism like a Mini-Psychological State Exam (MMSE), or a Montreal Cognitive Overview (MoCA), or an ICMR (Indian Council of Clinical Analysis)-NCTB (Neuro Cognitive Instrument Field), or Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Exam (ACE)-III check. It’s the mixture of the check used along side a subjective interpretation and steady monitoring that makes for a extra definitive evaluation,” he provides.
Following those cognitive and neuro-psychological tests, counsellors employed by means of the startup counsel the following plan of action which might come with additional scientific tests.
As Rahul notes, “For proactive customers, who would simply need to be sure they’re retaining themselves mentally energetic and take a preventive manner against mind well being, now we have our app which provides day-to-day quizzes, mind video games, and day-to-day pointers for an energetic everyday life resulting in decreased impairment possibility. Now we have additionally advanced a personalized mind exercise day-to-day, calibrated to make stronger the abilities they lag in. The day-to-day exercise these days is composed of two video games and a mini-assessment to measure growth. Going forward we will be able to be creating our proprietary exercises as we perceive extra about those customers.”
“Relying on how the person plays, both the trouble degree or the video games are then modified on an ongoing foundation. The person may also get charts of growth that they are able to see around the talents he’s being examined for,” he provides. A just right start line for that is the present cognitive age check that they’ve reside that may be accessed right here on cell. In the meantime, the day-to-day pointers they provide are continue to exist their social media pages, which may also be accessed right here.
“There are as regards to 50 other video games with other ranges of issue that can be continue to exist our app. Those check other talents, akin to auditory talents, hand-eye coordination, visible reasoning, focal point, making plans, and non permanent reminiscence, amongst 23 other talents. The app is these days in its beta model slated for additional checking out however incorporates more than a few video games ” notes Rahul.
“For instance, now we have a sport which assessments processing velocity, estimation, and spatial belief. Aside from those cognitive video games, Ivory additionally has a gamified quizzing enjoy in model 1 throughout subjects of passion for our goal crew (TG) excluding ongoing brain-teasers that we will be able to quickly drop at the app,” he provides.
As Jwala Narayanan, a consulting neuropsychologist at Annaswamy Mudaliar Health center and Manipal Health center, notes, “Recently, we remember the fact that dementia dangers are numerous, making prevention a an important technique within the fight towards it. Given the really extensive demanding situations of behaviour exchange, Ivory’s function within the healthcare ecosystem turns into very important, harnessing generation’s benefits to encourage a good shift in other people’s conduct”.
Taking a look forward
As Issac notes, “We see Ivory with a deep-rooted basis in making higher mind well being obtainable for almost all of Indians. Probably the most routine subject matters coming from each neurologist or neuropsychologist who treats dementia sufferers is ‘We’re 10-15 years past due’, and Ivory seeks to bridge that hole. The brand new applied sciences in detection, and restoration and rehab of Dementia sufferers that can are available in the following few years is what is going to outline Ivory’s adventure.”
Within the medium time period, alternatively, Rahul says that Ivory intends to convey in combination “the ability of high quality cognitive tests” and lead them to obtainable for Indians to take higher care in their mind well being. As he is going on so as to add, “Well timed reaction to cognitive decline can make stronger the standard of lifestyles as other people age. Our function is to make this a truth for each Indian family with an getting older father or mother.”
(Ivory’s beta model of the app is to be had at the Google Play Retailer.)
(Edited by means of Pranita Bhat; Photographs courtesy Ivory, Shutterstock/WESTOCK PRODUCTIONS and Shutterstock/Raushan_Films)
Further Supply:
‘India must equipment up for the rising dementia epidemic, say mavens’ by means of Afshan Yasmeen for The Hindu, Printed on 8 September 2023