(HealthDay News) — Subtle cognitive changes in patients with subjective cognitive decline can be identified using smartphone data collected during wayfinding tasks, according to research published online. PLOS Digital Health.
Jonas Marquardt and colleagues at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Magdeburg found that in a sample of patients with subjective cognitive decline who had normal scores on neuropsychological assessments, as well as in a sample of cognitively healthy older and younger adults. We investigated differences in route-search behavior using smartphones. Participants had to find a location along a short route within the medical campus of the University of Magdeburg, guided by a mobile application (“Explore”).
The researchers found that performance measures extracted from GPS and user-input data were able to differentiate between groups. In older participants, the number of disorientations predicted subjective cognitive decline status.
“As smartphones and wearable devices become more prevalent in older populations, data from mobile applications like the Explore app could ultimately stratify subjects regarding the need for augmented cognitive diagnosis or clinical diagnosis. “It may be used as a screening tool for write.
One author has disclosed financial relationships with neotiv GmbH.
References:
Marquardt J, Mohan P, Spiliopoulou M, et al. Identify older adults at risk for dementia based on smartphone data captured during real-world wayfinding tasks. PLOS Digit Health. 2024 October 3;3(10):e0000613. doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000613
