BioSensics, a global leader in wearable movement sensors for healthcare, has received a grant award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop technology for continuous, remote monitoring of cognitive decline. Using this technology, BioSensics will be able to perform objective assessment of instrumental activities of daily living, life space, and digital social interactions, which are biomarkers of numerous diseases from Alzheimer’s and dementia to depression.
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Dementia is the general term for a range of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. A buildup of abnormal proteins leads to nerve cell deaths throughout the brain, causing cognitive decline. Symptoms include memory loss, mood changes, reasoning problems and communication problems. It is believed there are around 50 million people living with dementia worldwide, and this number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 75 million in 2030 and 135 million in 2050.
BioSensics will use the new technology to expand the capabilities of its Sensor-Integrated Digital Platform for Clinical Trials to include tools for objective measurement of cognitive and mental health.
“BioSensics offers a wide range of solutions and services to measure movement and mobility related endpoints in clinical trials. We are thrilled to have the support of the NIH to further expand our offerings to measure endpoints that are directly relevant to a wide range of mental and cognitive disorders,” said Dr. Joseph Gwin, Vice President of Research and Development at BioSensics.
The 3-year project, which will be conducted in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, will have a solution consisting of a GPS, wearable movement sensor, and software for measuring digital social interactions.
“Technology can play a key role in promoting healthy and independent aging. The ability to continuously monitor cognitive health plays a key role in managing care and support for the elderly population,” said Principal Investigator of the new grant award, Dr. Bijan Najafi, professor in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College.
In May, BioSensics announced the launch of its Sensor-Integrated Digital Platform for clinical trials. This platform was also developed in part with funding from the NIH and is currently being used in clinical trials for a wide range of conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and cognitive disorders.
“We have been very pleased with the favorable reception of our platform by the pharmaceutical industry and look forward to steady growth of our clinical trials division,” said Dr. Gwin.
