Feasibility and usability of remote monitoring in Alzheimer's disease

Bibliographic Details
Title: Feasibility and usability of remote monitoring in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Marijn Muurling, Casper de Boer, Chris Hinds, Alankar Atreya, Aiden Doherty, Vasilis Alepopoulos, Jelena Curcic, Anna-Katharine Brem, Pauline Conde, Sajini Kuruppu, Xavier Morató, Valentina Saletti, Samantha Galluzzi, Estefania Vilarino Luis, Sandra Cardoso, Tina Stukelj, Milica Gregorič Kramberger, Dora Roik, Ivan Koychev, Ann-Cecilie Hopøy, Emilia Schwertner, Mara Gkioka, Dag Aarsland, Pieter Jelle Visser
Source: Digital Health, Vol 10 (2024)
Publisher Information: SAGE Publishing, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics
Subject Terms: Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, R858-859.7
More Details: Introduction Remote monitoring technologies (RMTs) can measure cognitive and functional decline objectively at-home, and offer opportunities to measure passively and continuously, possibly improving sensitivity and reducing participant burden in clinical trials. However, there is skepticism that age and cognitive or functional impairment may render participants unable or unwilling to comply with complex RMT protocols. We therefore assessed the feasibility and usability of a complex RMT protocol in all syndromic stages of Alzheimer's disease and in healthy control participants. Methods For 8 weeks, participants (N = 229) used two activity trackers, two interactive apps with either daily or weekly cognitive tasks, and optionally a wearable camera. A subset of participants participated in a 4-week sub-study (N = 45) using fixed at-home sensors, a wearable EEG sleep headband and a driving performance device. Feasibility was assessed by evaluating compliance and drop-out rates. Usability was assessed by problem rates (e.g., understanding instructions, discomfort, forgetting to use the RMT or technical problems) as discussed during bi-weekly semi-structured interviews. Results Most problems were found for the active apps and EEG sleep headband. Problem rates increased and compliance rates decreased with disease severity, but the study remained feasible. Conclusions This study shows that a highly complex RMT protocol is feasible, even in a mild-to-moderate AD population, encouraging other researchers to use RMTs in their study designs. We recommend evaluating the design of individual devices carefully before finalizing study protocols, considering RMTs which allow for real-time compliance monitoring, and engaging the partners of study participants in the research.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2055-2076
20552076
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2055-2076
DOI: 10.1177/20552076241238133
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/8f9d109ddcd94a5bb7f99894759bc08c
Accession Number: edsdoj.8f9d109ddcd94a5bb7f99894759bc08c
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:20552076
DOI:10.1177/20552076241238133
Published in:Digital Health
Language:English