Biotechnology company Biogen has launched a multi-year virtual study to investigate how the iPhone and Apple Watch might be used to detect declines in people’s cognitive health.
Launching later this year, the company’s medical study will seek to determine the role that Apple devices could potentially play in monitoring cognitive performance and screening for a decline in one’s cognitive health, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Identifying Digital Biomarkers Through Tech
As detailed in a press release, the study will enroll both young and aging adults with a range of cognitive performance. Ultimately, the study seeks to identify digital biomarkers to monitor cognitive performance over time and identify early signs of MCI.
This neurocognitive disorder is found in about 15–20 percent of adults over the age of 65. The symptoms range from being easily distracted to memory loss, Biogen noted.
Apple’s op-chief Jeff Williams was quoted as saying:
Working in collaboration with Biogen, we hope this study can help the medical community better understand a person’s cognitive performance by simply having them engage with their Apple Watch and iPhone.
Williams underscored that both companies are seeking to determine whether better health outcomes could be realized through improved detection via technology.
Detecting the Early Signs Is Key
Early detection is the biggest problem with MCI—the symptoms are subtle and can often take months or years before being diagnosed by health care providers. Thanks to the Apple Watch’s onboard sensors, and with a little help from machine learning and artificial intelligence, technology could indeed play a crucial role in detecting the symptoms before they have fully developed.
Because this study is being realized in co-operation with Apple, all data will be stored encrypted in “systems with strong security controls designed to protect the data,” according to Biogen. The study participants will be able to not only view the data types that the study will collect, but also see how that data may be used.
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