A One-Year Study Using Digital Biomarkers From Sensing Technologies to Assess Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Sleep Quality in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia: Observational Study.
Lydia D Boyle, Monica Patrascu, Bettina S Husebo and 3 others
PMID 42684378WHAT IT FOUND
In 9 nursing home residents with dementia, contactless radar sleep measures tracked changes over a year, but wrist activity readings were not reliable over time.
Device wear was high.
Key findings
01Wrist accelerometer estimates of nighttime movement decreased by 33% from baseline to 1 year, but the readings were not stable over time.
02Contactless bedroom radar sleep measures changed over 1 year in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset, and sleep regularity, and the readings were consistent over time.
03Device wear time was 96% at baseline, 88% at 6 months, and 94% at 1 year, with no adverse events.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 9 participants were analysed because 2 of the 11 recruited died during the study. The study was a pilot, so the findings are preliminary. Wrist accelerometer activity had poor temporal stability, so it was not reliable for tracking change over time. The smartwatch model changed at the 1-year time point, which can affect comparisons. There are no standardized accelerometry thresholds for older adults with dementia. The study did not validate the specific sensing technologies. Some data were missing because of charging and short periods of device removal.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the South Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these devices to make clinical decisions about activity or sleep in dementia. The study analysed only 9 participants, wrist activity was unreliable over time, and the devices were not validated.