This is part of the MassAITC monthly webinar series.
Abstract:
Nearly half of adults over 75 experience functional limitations, often worsened by physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. There is an inherent need for innovative technologies—such as wearables, sensors, and AI systems—to detect early declines and support timely interventions that maintain independence and quality of life. This webinar explored potential innovative approaches that are being developed through the support of the MassAITC pilot program to support functional health and independence among older adults through wearable and ambient sensor technologies.
Dr. Amanda Paluch (University of Massachusetts) presented her pilot study on detecting frailty in home environments using non-invasive, whole-room body heat sensors (Butlr Care). Her team’s interdisciplinary work aims to develop low-burden, contactless algorithms capable of continuously monitoring movement patterns to detect early signs of frailty and support interventions that promote aging in place.
Dr. Jennifer Blankenship (VivoSense) highlighted efforts to develop and validate digital biomarkers of real-world function for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. She discussed the limitations of current clinical endpoints and how wearable actigraphy sensors can offer sensitive, continuous measures of mobility and functional independence. The project’s goal is to achieve regulatory qualification for these measures to inform drug development and personalized care.
The presentations underscored challenges and opportunities in deploying sensor-based technologies, including algorithmic bias in clinical populations, patient acceptance of in-home monitoring, and the integration of such technologies into care models and clinical trials. The session concluded with a moderated discussion on anticipated barriers to adoption and future directions for expanding sensor applications beyond frailty and functional health monitoring.
Source: https://massaitc.org/2023/11/17/coming-nov-28th-webinar-margie-lachman-pilots/