Researchers estimate that approximately 22% of adults aged 50 and above globally have some stage of Alzheimer’s disease, prompting a focus on finding new ways to recognize early warning signs of the disease. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, medications are available to help slow down its progression in the earliest stages. A recent study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that monitoring daily activity patterns through a wrist-worn device could help spot early signs of Alzheimer’s.
Daily activity patterns, including movement and behavior, have been linked to various health outcomes in older adults, such as better cognition, mental health, and overall health. Previous studies have also shown that a highly active daily activity pattern may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The recent study from Johns Hopkins used wristwatch-like devices called actigraphs to monitor the daily activity patterns of cognitively healthy older adults, some of whom had detectable amounts of beta-amyloid in their brains, a marker for Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers found significant differences in the daily activity patterns of participants with detectable beta-amyloid compared to those without the protein. Those in the “amyloid-positive” group had higher average activity during specific times of day and fewer day-to-day activity changes during certain times. The study’s lead author, Dr. Adam Spira, highlighted the importance of these findings in identifying potential early signs of Alzheimer’s in cognitively normal individuals and suggested that monitoring these patterns could help predict future cognitive decline.
While the study used scientific wristwatch devices to monitor daily activity patterns, it is unclear if mainstream fitness trackers like Fitbit and Garmin could be used in the future to detect early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Spira cautioned against interpreting data from personal devices as a sign of amyloid in the brain until further research supports these findings. Neurologists not involved in the study expressed skepticism about the potential clinical utility of wrist actigraphy devices in diagnosing memory loss disorders like Alzheimer’s dementia, suggesting that these devices may be more useful for movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
Overall, experts remain cautious about using wearable devices for detecting Alzheimer’s disease, citing the potential for false positives and unnecessary distress for patients. Further research is needed to determine the reliability and accuracy of using wrist-worn devices for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions. Until then, monitoring daily activity patterns through wearable devices like actigraphs may offer valuable insights into the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in cognitively healthy individuals.
