Researchers fight Alzheimer's with fitness gadgets
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Medical researchers in Austin are using commercially available technology to determine who is at risk of longer-term cognitive dysfunction such as Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters: The research at the University of Texas' Dell Medical School could help doctors intervene before conditions worsen.
- There is no cure for Alzheimer's and related dementias, so prevention is key.
How it works: Researchers are focused on who develops delirium — a sudden decline in awareness, attention and thinking — which is a precursor to dementia.
- By using commercially available wearable sensors, researchers can monitor temperature, heart rate and sleep patterns among people aged 65 and up for any changes ahead of the onset of delirium.
- They're then using machine-learning algorithms to determine who is at risk of longer-term cognitive dysfunction.
What they're saying: "Clinicians have known for a long time that minor medical conditions and surgical procedures can tip older individuals with mild cognitive impairment into a state of severe and sudden delirium," David Paydarfar, chair of Dell Med's Department of Neurology, said.
- "We are interested in detecting and reversing delirium early because we hypothesize that delirium is a neurotoxic state that damages neurons and accelerates brain degeneration leading to dementia."
Of note: Researchers are recruiting people over age 65 who are admitted to Dell Seton Medical Center or Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin — and are not recruiting from the general public in this initial study.
The bottom line: We cheer for anything that staves off the ravages of dementia.