Harnessing Hearables to Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

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Exploration of Hearable Technology in Alzheimer’s Detection

In a groundbreaking exploration at the intersection of technology and medicine, researchers are turning to earpiece microphones, often referred to as “hearables,” to uncover early signs of Alzheimer’s disease through subtle changes in eye movements.

As a condition that compromises both motor skills and cognitive functions, Alzheimer’s disease frequently shows its initial effects in the form of altered saccadic eye movements—rapid shifts of the gaze that are pivotal for our day-to-day activities.

Challenges in Conventional Eye Movement Tracking

Conventional methods for tracking eye movements can come with a hefty price tag and a lack of accessibility, making ongoing monitoring of saccades a steep challenge.

Hearables, on the other hand, offer a promising noninvasive avenue—they can capture vibrations from the eardrum, enabling continuous observation of eye movements without the need for bulky and expensive equipment.

By analyzing these vibrations, scientists hope to craft tools that can effectively screen for Alzheimer’s and potentially other neurological disorders.

Currently, more than 50 million people worldwide grapple with Alzheimer’s, a reality that weighs heavily on patients and their families alike.

The nature of this insidious disease, combined with the gradual emergence of its symptoms, complicates early detection.

A research team from École de Technologie Supérieure and Dartmouth University is at the forefront of this endeavor, leveraging hearable technology as a way to identify those critical early indicators of decline.

Advancements in Monitoring Saccadic Eye Movements

Research consistently shows that as Alzheimer’s advances, the speed and accuracy of a person’s saccades diminish.

This decline serves as an initial signal of challenges in both motor control and cognitive functioning.

Eye movements represent some of the swiftest and most precise actions our bodies execute, reliant on a harmonious blend of sharp motor skills and cognitive capacity.

The research group, led by Rachel Bouserhal at the Research in Hearing Health and Assistive Devices Laboratory at École de Technologie Supérieure and Chris Niemczak at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, is now working to harness this technology for practical use.

By monitoring the vibrations generated in the eardrum by involuntary eye movements, they aim to craft health-monitoring algorithms that will pave the way for long-term monitoring and timely detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

The team is currently conducting trials involving participants equipped with both hearables and traditional eye-tracking systems.

This dual method seeks to capture the nuances of saccadic movements, identifying what constitutes normal behavior versus signs pointing to neurological issues like Alzheimer’s.

While their initial focus centers on the long-term observation of Alzheimer’s, the researchers are hopeful about broadening their scope to include other conditions, enhancing their ability to differentiate between various health states using in-ear signal tracking.

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Study Details:

• Title: Earpiece tech detects early Alzheimer’s through eye movement signals
• Authors: Miriam Boutros, Rachel Bouserhal, Chris Niemczak, Arian Shamei, et al.
• Event: 187th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America
• Date: November 18-22, 2024
• Link: Acoustical Society of America