Utilizing Wearable Technology to Identify Digital Markers of Gait and Mobility for Early Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairments Due to Alzheimer's Disease
Description: Dementia prevalence is expected to increase by 187% from 2020 to 2050 in the aging population in Canada. Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for two-thirds of dementia cases. While AD is currently incurable, early detection is crucial for timely intervention to help slow disease progression. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an intermediate stage between healthy cognition and dementia, is traditionally diagnosed through neuropsychological assessments and brain scans, which are limited due to their lack of frequency and their high costs. Meanwhile, biomarkers like amyloid deposits begin to form years before dementia symptoms manifest, offering potential for early detection. However, these methods are invasive and costly, limiting their use to research settings. While changes in daily behaviour are promising for detecting MCI, this study aims to explore the use of mobile and wearable technologies for passive, non-invasive monitoring of physical activity and mobility patterns as early markers of MCI due to AD. The study recruited 40 older adults aged 60 to 80, including 20 healthy controls and 20 MCI patients, and tracked their physical behavior for 21 days using wearable GPS and accelerometers. Data from these devices is used to derive gait and mobility metrics, habitual activity patterns, time spent indoors vs. outdoors, and distance traveled. These markers are analyzed for their association with cognitive aging and their ability to differentiate MCI patients from healthy controls. Statistical analysis methods and machine learning algorithms will be applied to classify the two groups, with feature ranking techniques identifying key variables. This research highlights the potential of digital monitoring technologies in advancing the early detection of cognitive decline in aging populations. By offering a scalable, low-cost, and continuous monitoring approach, paving the way for early interventions that could support prolonged independent living for older adults.
Amount: CA$695
Funding type: fellowship
Funder scheme: Summer Program in Aging
Start date: 2025-03-01
End date: 2026-02-28
Investigator: Shimaa Aboudeif
Institution: University of Calgary
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: 199075_1
OpenAlex ID: G664514525