Apple, Biogen to Use mHealth Wearables to Identify Cognitive Impairment

Apple is partnering with biotech company Biogen on a new research study that will test the value of mHealth wearables in detecting early signs of cognitive impairment.

The multi-year study, to be launched later this year, aims to determine whether the Apple Watch can collect and transmit biometric data on cognitive performance, so that researchers can develop digital biomarkers that would help care providers and patients in detection and remote monitoring.

If successful, the project could pave the way for using wearables like smartwatches, fitness bands and sensor-embedded clothing to detect early signs of dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other health concerns. Care providers could also develop telehealth platforms enabling them to monitor patients at home through those devices.

“This is terrific news for all of us who are interested in our brain health,” George Vradenburg, co-founder and chairman of the non-profit UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, said in a press release issued by Biogen. “Just as we today use new digital and mobile tools to help us monitor and improve our cardiovascular health, this new study will help us learn how to use those same tools to monitor and improve our brain health.”

“We have learned repeatedly that detecting disease at its earliest stage is our best bet to treat it effectively,” he added. “To that end, this exciting study could enable us to learn how to get early warning signs of cognitive decline which may be addressed through lifestyle and therapeutic changes designed to slow or stop the progression of brain disease.”

“Strategies that optimize brain health and improve cognitive function are the key to reducing the risk of dementia and this study has the potential to discover transformative ways to monitor and assess brain health,” added Nora Super, executive director of the Milken Institute Alliance to Improve Dementia Care. “We are always eager to see technological innovation, and we are particularly interested in the user convenience of data collected through the use of everyday devices like Apple Watch and iPhone. This type of innovation may enhance our understanding of the aging brain and therefore may ultimately help us understand how to maintain and improve brain health throughout adulthood.”

Wearable devices have long been seen as the front line to detection and remote monitoring, most recently in programs and studies aimed at identifying early signs of COVID-19 and other viruses. They’ve also been put to use in project aimed at helping people with chronic conditions manage their care, support for those with substance abuse issues, and for support and treatment of people with MS, ADHD, concussions, insomnia, stress and anxiety and other behavioral health concerns.

With this project, the goal is to create a platform to identify cognitive impairment as early as possible, perhaps before it’s even noticed by the patient, family members or caregivers.

“Cognitive decline can be an early symptom of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia,” Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said in the press release. “The successful development of digital biomarkers in brain health would help address the significant need to accelerate patient diagnoses and empower physicians and individuals to take timely action”

“For healthcare systems, such advancements in cognitive biomarkers from large-scale studies could contribute significantly to prevention and better population-based health outcomes, and lower costs to health systems,” he added. “Bringing together the best of neuroscience with the best of technology creates a wonderful prospect for patients and public health.”