MassAITC Cohort: Year 5 (AD/ADRD)
Initial Proposal Abstract: The Lumia ear wearable is a miniaturized device that monitors blood flow to the head using photoplethysmography (PPG) technology. This pilot project aims to adapt Lumia for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) by integrating an AI-powered, voice-controlled assistant for symptom tracking. The assistant will enable intuitive, real-time symptom and activity annotation, converting natural speech into structured, time-stamped events, which reduces reliance on manual logging and supports both participants and caregivers in everyday settings.
In a prospective pilot study, 20 AD/ADRD patient-caregiver pairs will participate in a baseline in-clinic session followed by one week of at-home use. Continuous physiological data (blood flow to the head, heart rate), voice-tagged events, and human factors data (adherence, usability, comfort, and interaction frequency) will be collected. Feasibility and usability areas of interest include average device wear time, successful data capture at home by participants, and user satisfaction with the adapted system.
Finally, AD/ADRD-specific data collected from the pilot will be used to fine-tune Lumia’s algorithms to account for age-related differences in movement patterns and arterial physiology. The study will generate a final report summarizing user and caregiver feedback, technical performance, and priorities for feature refinement, providing a roadmap for future development and subsequent clinical studies.