Researchers from DZNE and the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg (both in Germany) identified people at highest risk of dementia due to mobility data, recorded during an orientation task with a smartphone on the university campus.
The results, published in the journal “PLOS Digital Health”, show the potential of smartphone data, collected in conditions close to daily life, for the early detection and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease. in the studio 72 adults participated; about a third of them suffer from subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), a condition that is a known risk factor for dementia.
THE Alzheimer’s disease often develops unnoticed for years and eventually causes dementia. So far there is no cure. “Currently, treatment of Alzheimer’s disease often comes too late to guarantee effective therapy. Even the new antibody drugs, which are so much talked about today, only work if they are administered at an early stage. early.
SO, We need to be able to diagnose the disease earlier, when the symptoms are still mild. This requires progress in diagnosis,” says Dr. Anne Maass, head of the research group at DZNE and visiting professor at the University of Magdeburg. Together with her colleagues, she tested a new approach to assess the problems with spatial navigation, one of the first potential symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our study is based on a sort of treasure hunt in which participants had to find previously specified points of interest. To do this, They used a smartphone equipped with a special application that we developed“, says Dr. Nadine Diersch.
The neuroscientist started the research project at DZNE several years ago and today works in the private sector, but remains associated with DZNE as a visiting researcher. “We discovered that some data from the application allow us to reliably identify people at higher risk of dementia,” he adds.
“This demonstrates that digital technologies, such as mobile applications, offer completely new possibilities for assessing cognitive functioning under realistic, low-threshold conditions,” he continues. “can help detect subtle cognitive changes and therefore warning signs of dementia earlier than today.”
In total, they participated in the study 72 women and men between 20 and 60 years old. Among the 48 elderly people, 23 were diagnosed with sickle cell disease. (ECF). People suffering from this illness perceive a loss of mental capacity which, however, cannot be detected by conventional neuropsychological tests.
These people do not inevitably develop dementia, but These individuals have been shown to be at increased risk. All study participants were asked to independently search various buildings on the Medical Campus of the University of Magdeburg, guided by the app, while their movement patterns were tracked using GPS.
“Our participants had similar knowledge about the campus area and all had experience with smartphones. We also practiced using the app beforehand,” explains Jonas Marquardt, first author of the study and doctoral student in Anne Maass’s research group.
During the task, which each study participant had to carry out individually, Five buildings had to be visited in a row along a route of approximately 800 meters. The app acted as a pacemaker: it displayed a map with the current location and the next destination, including a photo of it. However, the map disappeared as soon as the participant started walking.
“Participants had to memorize the layout of the streets, their position and their destination, then follow their sense of orientation and spatial memory,” describes Marquardt. “If they got lost, they could press a help button in the app. The map, your location, and your destination reappeared briefly. » Researchers leveraged GPS data to generate individual mobility profiles and other information.
In most cases, theParticipants reached all five destinations in less than half an hour. “Overall, younger participants performed better. On average, they covered shorter distances and generally did not use the assist function as often as older participants,” says Marquardt .
Differences between older adults with and without DCS were mainly reflected in the number of referral stops. Jonas Marquardt adds: “Elderly people with DCS stop briefly while walking more frequently, probably to orient themselves, than others.Elderly people without DCS. “In fact, we were able to identify participants with DCS based on this parameter.”
So far, it is unclear why people with DCS differ in this regard. “We discovered that they tend to hesitate more at intersections, in particular, which suggests that certain decision-making processes are impaired. However, the data is still not conclusive,” insists Nadine Diersch. “However, the results of our study constitute a promising proof of concept. They demonstrate that “Smartphone data can help detect subtle signs of cognitive decline in realistic settings.”
The scientist considers this an opportunity for early detection and early treatment of dementia: “I imagine that in the future applications of this type could be used to identify people at risk and then decide whether there is a need for further testing or starting treatment now.
