Wearable Sensor for Early Detection and Monitoring of Cognitive Decline

Understanding someone's language abilities through analyzing their speech using digital tools can be a new, relevant way to find early signs of dementia. Past research shows that changes in a person's speech can accurately reflect the severity of dementia and could even predict cognitive decline before a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is made. Clinical trials have shown that changes in speech can be more noticeable than using traditional screening methods, like the MMSE. Moreover, recent findings suggest that speech changes related to cognitive decline over time aren't influenced by practice or learning effects. Separately, our own research has found that observing people while they're doing two things at once, like walking and talking (known as dual-tasking), can help identify people with mild cognitive impairment, which is an early stage of AD. So, with the support of the studies mentioned above, the goal of this study is to better detect early signs of dementia using everyday behaviors, such as dual-task activities and speech patterns, like how long a person talks while walk at the same time. We intend to create a cheap, simple-to-use pendant device that tracks these behaviors, allowing us to predict small changes in cognitive and motor functions over time.

This is an observational, minimally invasive study. There are four clinic visits (baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months) each followed by 7 days of monitoring. Research staff will supervise tests for all assessments to minimize the risk associated tests such as gait and balance assessments. All in-clinic visits will be conducted at UCLA Health sites.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults age 55 years or older
• Ambulatory (able to walk 40 feet with or without walking assistance)
• Willing and able to provide informed consent.
• Individuals in the cognitive impairment group, should either have a diagnosis of cognitive impairment, a MoCA score of 25 or lower, or be confirmation of cognitive impairment by the Principal Investigator or clinical collaborators based on self-reported memory problems and relevant patient history. Individuals in the non-cognitively impaired group must have a MoCA score of 26 or higher.

Exclusion criteria

• Children and younger adults: We exclude children and younger adults (younger than 55 years old) as dementia and cognitive-motor impairment is anticipated to be lower among those younger than 55.
• Immobility or major mobility disorder: We will exclude those who were bedbound or unable to stand or ambulate with or without walking assistance (e.g., cane, walker) that prohibit them from performing the 40-foot walking test needed for the Fried Frailty Criteria.
• Pre-existing acute conditions: We will exclude those with acute or unstable conditions (e.g., fractures) that may significantly affect gait and balance, according to the judgement of clinical investigators. In addition, we will exclude those with any significant medical or psychiatric condition that, in the judgment of the investigators, would potentially interfere with the ability to participate in the study.
• Medication: Changes in medication regime unrelated to dementia or those taken temporarily that may affect balance and/or gait (e.g., narcotic, anxiety medication) based on judgement of our clinical investigators.
• Severe vision, aphasia, or healing problems: We will exclude those with major hearing, aphasia, or visual problems, which may limit their ability to complete patient-reported outcomes, complete the cognitive screening assessments, and may impact Dual Task physical activities. Those with corrected vision or hearing problems (e.g., using prescription glasses, hearing aids, etc.) will be included.
• Ongoing treatment: We will exclude those receiving active therapy (e.g., undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy).
• Lack of capacity to consent.
• Other exclusion criteria include the inability to use telemedicine (e.g., no internet at home, severe visual or hearing problem, lack of caregiver support, etc.); inability or unwillingness to participate in scheduled in clinic visits (e.g., living farther than 30 miles from the clinic, unavailability of caregivers). We will also exclude those with significant cognitive impairment (MoCA score<16), severe dementia, severe apathy, severe aphasia or speaking problems, severe depression, those who are on hospice care or palliative care, those with severe pain, and with history of drug or alcohol abuse over the last six months. Finally, we will exclude those who are unable to communicate in English or are unlikely to fully comply with the follow-up protocol (e.g., long travel distance).