Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Wearable technology enables real-time physiological monitoring in daily life.
• In-ear devices (hearables) offer non-invasive, unobtrusive monitoring of brain activity, heart rate, and movement.
• Hearables' potential in dementia care is significantly underexplored compared to other health applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design a multimodal wearable system for dementia care using a stakeholder-informed, mixed-methods approach.
• To ensure the developed technology is accessible, acceptable, and clinically relevant by incorporating perspectives from individuals with dementia, carers, and healthcare professionals.
• To complement traditional cognitive assessments and personalize dementia care through continuous physiological data collection.

Main Methods:

• A four-workstream approach: literature review on dementia physiological parameters and ethics approval (WS1); stakeholder co-design workshops for hearable selection and evaluation (WS2).
• Prototype development of a multimodal wearable system with a mobile application (WS3).
• Usability testing workshops to evaluate the prototype's functionality and ease of use (WS4).

Main Results:

• The study is expected to yield qualitative and quantitative insights into the feasibility and potential of hearables in dementia care.
• Anticipated findings will bridge the gap between technological advancements and practical application in real-world dementia care settings.
• The research commenced in January 2025, funded by the Imperial College London Dame Julia Higgins Postdoc Collaborative Research Fund.

Conclusions:

• The findings will guide future development and pilot-testing of hearable technology for dementia care.
• Recommendations will be generated to enhance dementia care pathways.
• The study aims to improve health outcomes for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.