New “earphone” will detect Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases 15 years before serious symptoms

It is believed that long before obvious symptoms of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases appear, their

 signs can be tracked thanks to subtlechanges in a person's sleep patterns. The authors of a new study have come up with an earphone-like device that carries out control changes. This way the user will know earlier that he is at risk and will be able to take action.

Four-year project PANDA (ProgressionAssessment in Neurodegenerative Disorders of Aging, rus. Assessing the Progression of Neurodegenerative Disorders of Aging) was the result of a collaboration between Aarhus University in Denmark, Rigshospitalet University and the technology company T&W Engineering. It is based on an experimental device that performs an ear EEG (electroencephalogram).

Although the wearable device is very similaron a standard earphone, it actually monitors electrical activity in the brain by measuring minute changes in voltage across the surface of the skin in the ear canal. It is also equipped with an oximeter to measure oxygen levels in the blood, a thermometer to measure body temperature and a microphone to monitor heart rate and breathing.

In in contrast to existing systemsSleep monitoring devices that typically require people to sleep several nights in a clinic while connected to multiple electrodes, an in-ear EEG machine can be used for longer periods of time in the home. In addition, the device does not interfere as much as standard sleep analysis equipment, and therefore will provide data about the owner’s natural, normal sleep pattern.

Photo: Aarhus University / Sebastian Krohg Knudsen

It is planned that the gadget will be testedon groups of volunteers with and without Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, to test whether consistently detectable patterns emerged in the sleep patterns of these groups of people. If the study is successful, it is hoped that people at risk of the disease could use an ear EEG to monitor their sleep for a few days or weeks each year.

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases manifest themselves infor many years. Diagnosis is usually made so late that it remains only to treat the symptoms. As part of the project, we are trying to identify the signs of two diseases 10-15 years before the first problems begin to arise,” concludes Preben Kidmoz, professor at Aarhus University.

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