Don’t let anyone knock the love affair you might have with your Apple Watch because a new study suggests that data collected from smartphones and digital apps might help speed up an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Researchers gave monitoring devices like iPhones and Apple watches to 113 people between 60 – 75, of whom 31 had some form of dementia.
Data was collected from the devices over 12 weeks, studying factors such as people’s motor control, mood, typing speed, use of language, and sleep patterns. People also had to fill in energy and mood surveys every day, and take short tests on an app.
The results showed that those with symptoms of dementia typed less and slowly, sent fewer messages than healthy people and were less likely to fill in surveys.
It suggests that one day a phone or other similar device might one day be used to track someone’s cognitive decline.
The accuracy of such devices needs further research and of course monitoring people this way would require their consent.
But I’m in on the ground floor with the idea, as my new watch tracks stress levels and gives me carte blanche for a legitimate relaxing glass of red wine.
