A Gait and Path Tortuosity System for Monitoring Cognitive Decline from Daily Functions in Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and/or Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD)

Project Summary Abstract Proposed is a sensing system that unobtrusively measures and reports gait properties which are correlated to accepted measures of cognitive declineSignificanceIt is estimated that as ofovermillion Americans are afflicted with ADDue to the aging demographicsthis number is projected to double byat an estimated annual direct cost of $trillionMeasures of cognitive decline can help to inform family memberscaregiversand health care providers about the functional status and needs of independent living older individualsThe need to improve the assessment of cognitive changes affecting daily functions has been identified by the NIH and National Academy of MedicineNAMMany ADLs such as shoppinghousecleaningand bathing are difficult to objectively measureMeasuring these ADLs is generally manually intensive often requiring direct supervision by a caregiverThe changing demographics of the elderly mean now more elderly adults will no longer have the frequent interaction with caregivers required to accurately make these measuresHypothesisA system capable of measuring and reporting gait parameters which are correlated to accepted measures of cognitive decline can decrease caregiversandaposburden and increase quality of life for individuals with ADSpecific AimsTo prove the feasibility of the proposed system in Phase I IDL willGenerate usercentric requirements through focus group discussionsDevelop prototype system electronics and mechanical packagingPerform laboratory study of prototype functionalityandEvaluate prototype performance through pilot human studyThe overall Phase I effort will demonstrate the ability of the proposed system to accurately measure requisite gait measures and demonstrate the usability of the system by the target population Project Narrative Measures of cognitive decline can help to inform family memberscaregiversand health care providers about the functional status and needs of independent living older individualsMeasuring ADLs is often manually intensive and is often not objectiveA system capable of measuring and reporting gait parameters which are correlated to accepted measures of cognitive decline can decrease caregiversandaposburden and increase quality of life for individuals with AD