How a microphone in the ear recognises early signs of Alzheimer's disease
A new research approach to diagnosing dementia could bring relief for those affected and those treating them: With the help of microphones for the auricle, so-called hearables, early signs of Alzheimer's disease can be recognised.
Sometimes research surprises us with new and unexpected approaches. Or would you have thought that it would be possible to measure a person's eye movements with a microphone in their ear? And that this data could then be used to predict whether the person might soon develop Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's: early diagnosis has so far been like detective work
Although Alzheimer's affects more than 50 million people worldwide, there is currently no single test that can be used to diagnose the neurodegenerative disease easily and reliably. Doctors treating patients have to combine various diagnostic procedures and try to draw conclusions about impending dementia based on the results of cognitive tests, brain scans and analyses of the spinal fluid and blood. A laborious, imprecise and painful procedure for those affected.
Now, however, the creative search for better solutions could mean that not only the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, but also other neurodegenerative diseases, will be painless and uncomplicated in the future.
Researchers at the École de Technologie Supérieure in Montreal and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth are currently working on the development of early Alzheimer's detection using so-called "hearables", small in-ear microphones that can pick up early signs of the disease. They presented their findings so far at the 187th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America.
Hidden clues to Alzheimer's in the ear
The key to this is provided by the first almost imperceptible symptoms of the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Even at a very early stage, motor control is impaired in those affected. The so-called saccades, rapid eye movements to fixate on a new target, are also altered by the onset of degeneration. The destruction of the nerves often leads to slower eye movements and those affected are no longer always able to follow something with their gaze.
Saccades, i.e. rapid eye movements, cause vibrations in the eardrum. This is where the sensitive in-ear microphones come into play. They can be used to record the vibrations and then analyse them. Algorithms can be used to identify signals that indicate neurodegenerative damage, such as in Alzheimer's disease.
The scientists are currently focussing on the long-term monitoring of people with Alzheimer's so that they can feed their systems with sufficient data. In the future, they also want to focus on other neurodegenerative diseases that could be recognised with hearables.
Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.