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With a generous donation of premium ancient tree Pu’er tea for charity sale, over HK$340,000 was raised to support CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) in conducting further assessments for elderly individuals suspected of having early dementia. The event, titled “普利眾生” in Chinese, has subsidised 55 elderly people with memory problems to receive the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and blood tests as of August 2025. Among them, 21 participants underwent further evaluation using AccuBrain®, an artificial intelligence (AI) assisted brain imaging assessment tool validated by CUHK. Following the assessment, 16 out of the 55 participants were diagnosed with prodromal or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for nearly 30% of the group.

Four organisations, namely Po Leung Kuk, Haven of Hope Christian Service, the Hong Kong Buddhist Association and Kwan Sang Charity Foundation Limited, participated in this project. They referred elderly singletons and persons in families of elderly doubletons aged above 60, suspected of early-stage dementia, to CUHKMC for MoCA and blood tests. The blood tests, which are not yet included in routine blood screening at public hospitals, directly measure abnormal proteins in blood, including p-Tau and neurofilament light chain, to aid the diagnosis of dementia. Based on the assessment results, specialists in neurology will arrange the AccuBrain® assessment for those patients who require further evaluation, where the brain MRI scans are analysed with AI technology for detection of dementia.

Dr. CHUNG Kin Lai, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC, said, “We express our heartfelt gratitude to the generosity of the supporters. Currently, one in every ten elderly people in Hong Kong suffers from dementia, while over 60-80% of dementia patients are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. CUHKMC and CUHK Faculty of Medicine will continue to work together to advance dementia screening initiatives. We hope to raise public awareness of this disease, enabling early identification and treatment for more patients.”

Dr. Alexander LAU Yuk Lun, Specialist in Neurology of CUHKMC, added, “In Hong Kong, among the elderly persons aged 80 or above, one in every five is diagnosed with dementia. The situation is alarming. However, recent research reveals that if we can prevent proactively before symptoms appear, and strengthen our brain health and adjust our lifestyle habits, the incidence rate can be reduced by 40%. Therefore, early prevention, detection and treatment are critical.”