An unobtrusive in-home monitoring system for detection of key motor changes preceding cognitive decline

The existing paradigm of ongoing or posttreatment monitoring of patients through periodic but infrequent office visits has many limitations. Relying on self-report by the patient or their family is equally unreliable. We propose an alternative paradigm in which continuous, unobtrusive monitoring is used to observe changes in physical behavior over time. We highlight the use of this technique for monitoring motor activity that may be predictive of early cognitive changes in the elderly. Initial results using a system of low-cost wireless sensors are presented, together with a discussion of appropriate analyses and interpretation of such data. Using low-cost wireless sensor network coupled with algorithms to detect changes in relevant patterns of behavior, we are able to detect both acute and gradual changes that may indicate a need for medical intervention.