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Home › Research › Prevention trials

The Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Dementia Prevention App 'MELI'

Sang Ho Han, Se Hee Kong, Na Hyeon Kim, Kang Hyo Min. Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange, 2025-06-27

This page is alzhub.org's plain-English summary of a published study, not the paper itself. It is generated from the record we hold for this study, sourced and linked below — check the original for the full text and methods.

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 34 out of 100. Prevention trials

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the comprehensive dementia prevention application 'MELI' in enhancing cognitive function and alleviating depressive symptoms among older adults.A total of 50 participants aged 60 and older, enrolled in a dementia prevention program operated in Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea, were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group, with 25 participants in each.The experimental group engaged in the MELI app-based intervention for eight months, from March to October 2024, while the control group did not receive the intervention.The app included a variety of cognitive training tasks, health education content, and mood tracking features designed to support mental well-being.Cognitive function and depression levels were assessed using the Korean Cognitive Screening Test(K-CIST) and the Korean version of the Short Geriatric Depression Scale(SGDS-K).Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0.The Mann-Whitney U test confirmed homogeneity between the groups at baseline, and within-group changes were examined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.After the intervention, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in cognitive function(Z=-3.36,p<.001) and a significant reduction in depressive symptoms(Z=-2.63,p<.01).These findings suggest that MELI is a promising digital tool for promoting cognitive health and emotional stability in older adults.

Key findings

Why it matters

This randomized study found that the MELI dementia prevention app improved cognitive function and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults over eight months. It suggests the app may support cognitive and emotional health, but it does not show that it treats, cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →

Study details

How this study scored 34/100
How this study's score is builtJournal tier 7 of 10; Journal's citation record 0 of 4; Study design 0 of 12; Strength of evidence 1 of 5; Peer-review validation 10 of 10; How recent 4 of 5; Sample size 1 of 4; Effect reported 0 of 3; Studied in people 3 of 3; Randomised / blinded 1 of 2; Times cited 1 of 7; Citations per year 0 of 5; Impact for its field and year 1 of 6; Cited by studies here 0 of 6; Still being cited 0 of 4; Senior author's track record left out, no data; Institution's track record 0 of 3; Multi-centre collaboration 1 of 3; Indexed in PubMed 1 of 2; Free to read 2 of 2. 33 of the 96 points it could be judged on, which is 34 of 100. Total 34 of 100.33 of the 96 points we could judge = 34 of 100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 33 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 34 out of 100.

ComponentPointsWhy
Journal tier 7 / 10 Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange)
Journal's citation record 0 / 4 Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange: journal h-index 10 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design 0 / 12 No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Strength of evidence 1 / 5 Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation 10 / 10 Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent 4 / 5 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size 1 / 4 50 participants
Effect reported 0 / 3 No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people 3 / 3 Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded 1 / 2 Randomised (as stated in the record)
Times cited 1 / 7 Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year 0 / 5 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year 1 / 6 Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here 0 / 6 No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited 0 / 4 Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record — / 4 Senior author's record not available — left out of this score
Institution's track record 0 / 3 Korea University: institution h-index 685 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration 1 / 3 OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed 1 / 2 Not in PubMed, but has a DOI
Free to read 2 / 2 Free to read
Points 33 / 96 Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 33 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 34 out of 100.
Total 34 / 100 —

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Han, S. H., Kong, S. H., Kim, N. H., & Min, K. H. (2025). The Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Dementia Prevention App 'MELI'. Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange. https://doi.org/10.47116/apjcri.2025.06.38

Vancouver

Han SH, Kong SH, Kim NH, Min KH. The Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Dementia Prevention App 'MELI'. Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange. 2025. doi:10.47116/apjcri.2025.06.38.

BibTeX

@article{han2025-e11e0a14,
  author  = {Han, Sang Ho and Kong, Se Hee and Kim, Na Hyeon and Min, Kang Hyo},
  title   = {{The Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Dementia Prevention App 'MELI'}},
  journal = {Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.47116/apjcri.2025.06.38},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.47116/apjcri.2025.06.38}
}

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