NIH Research Highlight: 2024 NIH Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Research Progress Report – Understanding Risk and Protective Factors for Dementia | Spotlight: Blood pressure and dementia risk

The pilot project led by Ed Wang was spotlighted in the 2024 NIH Alzheimer's and Related Dementias annual research project report in the section focused on understanding the associated risk dementia factor of uncontrolled high blood pressure. Results from this early pilot study demonstrate the potential of smartphone-based blood pressure devices, which in the near future could help improve the accessibility of long-term blood pressure monitoring. This improved improved access to low-cost blood pressure monitoring has the potential to reduce a major contributing factor to dementia risk. Source: 2024 NIH Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Research Progress Report: Advances and Achievements

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New Product Versions: Sonde Health Introduces Innovative Cognitive Fitness Health Tracking Solution

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sonde Health is expanding its leading health monitoring platform beyond mental and respiratory fitness by introducing an innovative cognitive fitness tracker that allows users to monitor brain exertion, or cognitive effort, in real time. This new solution, called Sonde Cognitive Fitness, analyzes eight vocal characteristics from 30-second voice interactions and generates a score to provide insight into one’s cognitive state, helping people manage their mental well-being and productivity effectively. By tracking their cognitive fitness, individuals can identify and monitor cognitive effort levels, take steps to optimize their productivity and performance, and enhance their well-being by reducing cognitive strain. Sonde Cognitive Fitness launches as almost one in five people over age 50 worldwide is affected by mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and more than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia — a figure that's projected to nearly triple by 2050. In early July, the U.S. Food…

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Grant Funding: a2 Collective Pilot Award for attachment-less smartphone blood-pressure monitoring advancement

The Billion Labs Inc team led by Ed Wang has received a GY3 pilot award to further develop and achieve FDA clearance for a novel zero-attachments, smartphone only solution, VibroBP, to enable ubiquitous, low-cost blood pressure monitoring. The VibroBP technology was a result of the GY1 pilot work on the BPClip. Limitations of the mechanical solution led to the software only innovation. Source: https://massaitc.org/2024/04/19/a-downloadable-oscillometric-bp-monitor-for-all-smartphones-with-no-attachments/#

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New Product Versions: Sonde One app (vocal biomarker research platform)

Sonde One app (vocal biomarker research platform) has incorporated two new capabilities whose development was funded through this pilot project (Mobile Monitoring of Cognitive Change "M2C2" mobile cognitive assessments and audio playback functionality). Sonde already makes it research platform available to collaborators in other studies and these upgraded functionalities will be made available to interested researchers.

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NIH Research Highlight: Smartphone clip attachment may help some people self-monitor blood pressure

NIA-funded researchers have developed a low-cost, universal attachment that some people may be able to use with a smartphone to measure blood pressure from their fingertips. News of the device was published in Scientific Reports. Hand holds blood pressure device, pulse from finger of other hand is being measuredPrototype of the BPClip, courtesy of the Digital Health Lab/University of California, San Diego.University of California, San Diego researchers developed “BPClip” for at-home access to blood pressure monitoring, especially for people who find it difficult to access health care services. A plastic clip attaches to a smartphone camera and is used with a custom smartphone application to measure blood pressure from the pulse at the user’s fingertip as the finger presses into the clip. Other cuffless devices require calibration using blood pressure cuffs. BPClip does not —…

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