Digital biomarkers in early Alzheimer’s disease from wearable or portable technology: a scoping review
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Background
The pursuit of accurate biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has driven a growing interest in digital biomarkers. We aimed to map the research landscape of digital biomarkers in early AD obtained with wearable or portable digital health technologies (DHTs).
Methods
In our scoping review, we included original research on portable or wearable DHTs where digital biomarkers were measured in populations of early AD (mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia). We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE with a wide search strategy with independent review and data extraction by two review team members and charted data in tabular/graphical form.
Results
After deduplication and screening of 8 893 records, we included 109 studies describing a wide array of wearable or portable obtained digital biomarkers. The study population consisted of 3 019 individuals with MCI due to AD (54% female, weighted mean age 73 years), and 1 942 individuals with mild AD (55% female, weighted mean age 73 years). The most studied biomarkers were rest/activity (39%), speech (17%), and gait (14%), with most studies focusing on one domain. Few studies reported outcomes associated with diagnosis (16%) and prognosis (3%).
Conclusion
We identified a growing evidence base investigating digital biomarkers in early AD. There is a paucity of studies examining diagnostic and prognostic properties, representing a knowledge gap. This overview may help to guide future research efforts to bridge the gap between the development and clinical implementation of digital biomarkers in early Alzheimer’s disease.
