Healthcare DIVE August 8, 2019
Dive Brief:
- Apple and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly are conducting joint research to see whether health features on the iPhone and Apple Watch can detect evidence of dementia and cognitive decline. The two companies, along with health tech startup Evidation, found promising initial results but concluded additional research is needed.
- The early-stage, 12-week study included 31 people with various stages of cognitive impairment and an 82-person healthy control group. Researchers collected 1.5 gigabytes of data per participant per day, including data on motor function and sleep rhythms.
- People with symptoms of cognitive decline showed slower typing, less regularity in schedules, fewer text messages and greater reliance on helper apps such as the Clock app than their healthy counterparts.