Validating a Commercial Device for Continuous Activity Measurement in the Older Adult Population for Dementia...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Health

Background:

• Fitness devices offer potential for managing chronic diseases in older adults, including dementia.
• Monitoring physiological data like heart rate and activity levels can help predict behavioral symptoms in dementia patients.
• Commercial fitness trackers require validation for clinical use in older adult populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the accuracy of a commercial fitness tracker (Hexoskin sensor vest) for physiological monitoring in older adults.
• To assess the reliability of measures including heart rate, breathing rate, lung volume, step count, and activity level.
• To determine the suitability of fitness trackers for managing chronic diseases in the elderly.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-one participants aged 65 and older were enrolled in the study.
• Physiological data including heart rate, breathing rate, lung volume, step count, and activity level were collected using the Hexoskin sensor vest.
• Data were compared against clinically accepted gold standard measurements.

Main Results:

• Step count, heart rate, and breathing rate demonstrated strong correlations with gold standard values.
• Lung volume and activity level measurements showed weaker correlations, indicating lower reliability.
• The Hexoskin sensor vest shows potential for monitoring specific physiological parameters in older adults.

Conclusions:

• Fitness trackers like Hexoskin can reliably measure heart rate, breathing rate, and step count in older adults.
• Lung volume and activity level measurements from current fitness trackers need cautious interpretation in this population.
• Further research and validation are necessary before widespread clinical adoption for managing dementia symptoms.