Use of nonintrusive sensor-based information and communication technology for real-world evidence for clinical trials in dementia

Cognitive function is an important end point of treatments in dementia clinical trials. Measuring cognitive function by standardized tests, however, is biased toward highly constrained environments (such as hospitals) in selected samples. Patient-powered real-world evidence using information and communication technology devices, including environmental and wearable sensors, may help to overcome these limitations. This position paper describes current and novel information and communication technology devices and algorithms to monitor behavior and function in people with prodromal and manifest stages of dementia continuously, and discusses clinical, technological, ethical, regulatory, and user-centered requirements for collecting real-world evidence in future randomized controlled trials. Challenges of data safety, quality, and privacy and regulatory requirements need to be addressed by future smart sensor technologies. When these requirements are satisfied, these technologies will provide access to truly user relevant outcomes and broader cohorts of participants than currently sampled in clinical trials

The Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Cognition and Mental Health and Technology Use Among Socially Vulnerable Older People: Retrospective Cohort Study

COVID 19; Salut mental; Aïllament socialCOVID 19; Salud mental; Aislamiento socialCOVID-19; Mental Health; Social isolationBackground: COVID-19 forced the implementation of restrictive measures in Spain, such as lockdown, home confinement, social distancing, and isolation. It is necessary to study whether limited access to basic services and decreased family and social support could have deleterious effects on cognition, quality of life, and mental health in vulnerable older people. Objective: This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia as the main outcome and the quality of life, perceived health status, and depression as secondary outcomes and to analyze the association of living alone and a change in living arrangements with those outcomes and other variables related with the use of technology and health services. Likewise, this study aims to analyze the association of high and low technophilia with those variables, to explore the access and use of health care and social support services, and, finally, to explore the informative-, cognitive-, entertainment-, and socialization-related uses of information and communications technologies (ICTs) during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This cohort study was conducted in Málaga (Spain). In total, 151 participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, from the SMART4MD (n=75, 49.7%) and TV-AssistDem (n=76, 50.3%) randomized clinical trials, were interviewed by telephone between May 11 and June 26, 2020. All participants had undergone 1-3 assessments (in 6-month intervals) on cognition, quality of life, and mood prior to the COVID-19 breakout. Results: The outbreak did not significantly impact the cognition, quality of life, and mood of our study population when making comparisons with baseline assessments prior to the outbreak. Perceived stress was reported as moderate during the outbreak. After correction for multiple comparisons, living alone, a change in living arrangements, and technophilia were not associated with negative mental health outcomes. However, being alone was nominally associated with self-perceived fear and depression, and higher technophilia with better quality of life, less boredom, perceived stress and depression, and also less calmness. Overall, health care and social support service access and utilization were high. The most used ICTs during the COVID-19 outbreak were the television for informative, cognitive, and entertainment-related uses and the smartphone for socialization. Conclusions: Our findings show that the first months of the outbreak did not significantly impact the cognition, quality of life, perceived health status, and depression of our study population when making comparisons with baseline assessments prior to the outbreak. Living alone and low technophilia require further research to establish whether they are risk factors of mental health problems during lockdowns in vulnerable populations. Moreover, although ICTs have proven to be useful for informative-, cognitive-, entertainment-, and socialization-related uses during the pandemic, more evidence is needed to support these interventions

Designing ICTs for Users with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Usability Study

Background: Research has supported the cost-effectiveness of cognitive training tools enhanced by information and communication technologies (ICT) in several populations, including individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and age-related cognitive decline. The implementation of ICTs in this population, however, is sometimes challenging to their cognitive and age characteristics. Ultimately, this might compromise the effectiveness of ICT-enhanced therapies in this population. The aim of this study is to test the usability and acceptability of a European project prototype for elderly care, in an attempt to explore the ICT design needs of users with MCI. Methods: Participants were 28 individuals aged 58-95 years and with a diagnosis of MCI. Results: The results showed a low perception of peripheral elements and the need to place main interaction elements in the centre of the screen. The correlation between the general level of autonomy (daily life activities) and the ICT autonomy level was significant and positive. The speed of audio help had a significant impact on performance. Conclusion: The present work contributes to the literature on ICT usability needs of users with MCI. Some usability recommendations for designing interfaces for this type of user are provided in the text

A Scoping Survey to Inform Design of Digital Dementia Risk Reduction Interventions for Adults Concerned about their Cognitive Health

Background: Digital dementia risk reduction interventions are cost-effective and scalable. However, it is unknown how they are perceived by people already experiencing cognitive concerns or decline. Objective: To understand the current use, interest, and preferences for online learning courses and interest in learning about factors influencing brain health and dementia risk among adults ≥45. To explore potential differences between individuals experiencing cognitive concerns and those without. Methods: Adults aged 45 and older completed a survey on technology use and healthy ageing (n = 249, Mean age = 65.6, 76.3% female). The Memory Assessment Clinic-Questionnaire was used to assess subjective memory decline, and 153 participants met the study criteria for cognitive concerns (≥25). Results: Almost all participants (98.4%) reported using two or more digital devices, and 51.8% reported increasing device usage following COVID-19. Most (92.1%) were interested in learning about healthy living and memory within an online course, and over 80% indicated a high interest in learning about dementia risk factors. People with cognitive concerns were more likely to report using a 'routine or system' to aid memory than people without (82.4% versus 62.9%, p = 0.001). However, no significant difference was found in technology use, course preferences, or interest in learning about different risk factors. Conclusions: We conclude that adults 45 years and over are interested in online methods for learning about brain health and offer unique insights into adapting dementia prevention programs for cognitive concerns

Effectiveness of technology-based interventions in detection, prevention, monitoring and treatment of patients at risk or diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment: protocol for a systematic review

Introduction: The gradual changes over the decades in the longevity and aging of European society as a whole can be directly related to the prolonged decline in the birth rate and increase in life expectancy. According to the WHO, there is an increased risk of dementia or other cognitive disorders as the population ages, which have a major impact on public health. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is described as a greater than expected cognitive decline for an individual's age and level of education, but that does not significantly interfere with activities of daily living. Patients with MCI exhibit a higher risk of dementia compared with others in the same age group, but without a cognitive decline, have impaired walking, and a 50% greater risk of falling. The urban lifestyle and advent of smartphones, mobility, and immediate access to all information via the internet, including health information, has led to a totally disruptive change in most general aspects. This systematic review protocol is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of technology-based interventions in the detection, prevention, monitoring, and treatment of patients at risk or diagnosed with MCI. Methods and analysis: This review protocol follows the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols reporting guidelines. The search will be performed on MEDLINE (PubMed), CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus databases from 2010 to 2020. Studies of interventions either randomized clinical trials or pre-post non-randomized quasi-experimental designs, published in English and Spanish will be included. Articles that provide relevant information on the use of technology and its effectiveness in interventions that assess improvements in early detection, prevention, follow-up, and treatment of the patients at risk or diagnosed with MCI will be included. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics committee approval is not required. The results will be disseminated in publications and congresses. Keywords: dementia; geriatric medicine; health informatics; mental health; preventive medicine.This paper is a result of the NEXTPERCEPTION project (www.nextperception.eu), which is jointly funded by the European Commission and national funding agencies under the ECSEL joint undertaking (grant agreement: 876487). This research was funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI/10.13039/501100011033) Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) (PCI2020-112270) CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. IRBLleida - Fundació Dr. Pifarré

The participation of older people with and without dementia in public space, through the lens of everyday technology use

Participation in activities and places within public space has been linked to numerous health benefits and yet, little is known about participation among older people with and without dementia. Insights about participation in activities and places within public space can contribute to the somewhat ambiguous definition of participation, as “involvement in a life situation”, by acknowledging the complexity and interrelatedness of subjective, social, contextual, temporal, and technological aspects of participation. Thus, the overarching aim of the four studies was to explore participation in activities and places within public space, among older people with and without dementia in two European countries (Sweden and UK), and to evaluate how different aspects, such as the relevance and perceived ability to use Everyday Technologies (ETs), interact with and influence participation, over time. Across all studies, interviews used the Participation in Activities and Places Outside Home Questionnaire (ACT-OUT) and the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ), in order to focus on the perspectives of older people with and without dementia themselves. Study one explored stability and changes in participation in places visited within public space in relation to the relevance of ETs used in public space, among a baseline Swedish sample. Study two utilised ordinal regression to investigate the ways in which perceived risks and ET use were associated with out-of-home participation, among a UK sample of older people. Using a mixed methods design and data visualisations, study three delved into aspects of social participation in more depth, including ET use and social deprivation of the living environment, among two UK sub-samples of older people with and without dementia. Study four’s longitudinal design and multilevel modelling deepened the knowledge about how use of ET outside home, relates to participation in places visited within public space among a Swedish sample of older people with dementia over time. Study one’s findings demonstrated a statistically significant positive association between a higher person measure of ability to use ETs and higher participation in places visited within public space, among the Swedish sub-sample of older people with dementia but not those without dementia. According to the ordinal regression model in study two, a higher probability of ET use was associated with a higher level of out-of-home participation, among the UK sample of older people. By elucidating motivators, considerations that require extra attention, and management strategies among UK sub-samples of older people with and without dementia, study three provided insights into the nuances of social participation. Finally, study four’s findings revealed that decreasing use of ET outside home was associated with decreasing participation in places visited within public space, in a statistically significant way when accounting for age. In summary, this thesis contributes empirical insights about the participation of older people with and without dementia in activities and places within public space, through the lens of ET use. Such knowledge can be used to develop targeted health and social care planning and the design of more inclusive places, technologies, and services

Assistive Technologies in Dementia Care: An Updated Analysis of the Literature

none5noObjectives: Technology can assist and support both people with dementia (PWD) and caregivers. Recently, technology has begun to embed remote components. Timely with respect to the pandemic, the present work reviews the most recent literature on technology in dementia contexts together with the newest studies about technological support published until October 2020. The final aim is to provide a synthesis of the timeliest evidence upon which clinical and non-clinical decision-makers can rely to make choices about technology in the case of further pandemic waves. Methods: A review of reviews was performed alongside a review of the studies run during the first pandemic wave. PsycInfo, CINAHL, and PubMed-online were the databases inspected for relevant papers published from January 2010. Results: The search identified 420 articles, 30 of which were reviews and nine of which were new studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies were first sorted according to the target population, then summarized thematically in a narrative synthesis. The studies targeting technologies for PWD were categorized as follows: monitoring and security purposes, sustaining daily life, and therapeutic interventions. Each category showed potential benefits. Differently, the interventions for caregivers were classified as informative, psycho-education programs, psychosocial-supportive, therapeutic, and cognitive/physical training. Benefits to mental health, skills learning, and social aspects emerged. Conclusions: The evidence shows that technology is well-accepted and can support PWD and caregivers to bypass physical and environmental problems both during regular times and during future pandemic waves. Nevertheless, the lack of a common methodological background is revealed by this analysis. Further and more standardized research is necessary to improve the implementation of technologies in everyday life while respecting the necessary personalization.openPappada A.; Chattat R.; Chirico I.; Valente M.; Ottoboni G.Pappada A.; Chattat R.; Chirico I.; Valente M.; Ottoboni G

Sustainable Technology and Elderly Life

The coming years will see an exponential increase in the proportion of elderly people in our society. This accelerated growth brings with it major challenges in relation to the sustainability of the system. There are different aspects where these changes will have a special incidence: health systems and their monitoring; the development of a framework in which the elderly can develop their daily lives satisfactorily; and in the design of intelligent cities adapted to the future sociodemographic profile. The discussion of the challenges faced, together with the current technological evolution, can show possible ways of meeting the challenges. There are different aspects where these changes will have a special incidence: health systems and their monitoring; the development of a framework in which the elderly can develop their daily lives satisfactorily; and in the design of intelligent cities adapted to the future sociodemographic profile. This special issue discusses various ways in which sustainable technologies can be applied to improve the lives of the elderly. Six articles on the subject are featured in this volume. From a systematic review of the literature to the development of gamification and health improvement projects. The articles present suggestive proposals for the improvement of the lives of the elderly. The volume is a resource of interest for the scientific community, since it shows different research gaps in the current state of the art. But it is also a document that can help social policy makers and people working in this domain to planning successful projects