Shafaqna English- Researchers from École de Technologies Supérieure and Dartmouth University are investigating the use of earpiece microphones to spot early signs of Alzheimer’s.
People with Alzheimer’s exhibit a loss of motor control along with cognitive decline. One of the earliest signs of this decay can be spotted in involuntary eye movements known as saccades. These quick twitches of the eyes in Alzheimer’s patients are often slower, less accurate, or delayed compared to those in healthy individuals.
“Eye movements are fascinating since they are some of the most rapid and precise movements in the human body, thus they rely on both excellent motor skills and cognitive functioning.
Detecting and analyzing saccades directly requires a patient to be monitored by eye-tracking equipment, which is not easily accessible for most people.
Researchers are exploring an alternative method using a more ubiquitous and less intrusive technology: earpiece microphones. their goal is to develop health-monitoring algorithms for hearables, capable of continuous, long-term monitoring and early disease detection.
Source: acoustics