US scientists will spend $4 million to find out if sleep tracking devices can detect Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage. This is reported by University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass).
Sleep disturbances are a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease and occur before memory and thinking problems. But accurately identifying sleep problems is expensive and only analyzes data from a single night.
In the new study, researchers plan to evaluate whether there is a link between data from home sleep trackers and blood parameters that indicate a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If confirmed, the trackers won’t replace full-fledged diagnostics, but they could become a tool to warn people who are at risk.
The trial will involve patients with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease without observable signs of cognitive impairment. They will wear three types of sleep-tracking devices for a week: an Apple Watch, an Aura ring and a head-mounted device to measure brain activity. Data from the wearables will be compared to blood levels of molecules associated with early Alzheimer’s disease.
Earlier scientists to create A risk factor for dementia, which is reversible in 90% of cases.
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Source: Gazeta
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