Alzheimers -- Engadget

alzheimers posts

RFID network used in the fight against Alzheimer's

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Feb 2nd 2009 at 1:59PM

The problem with diagnosing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is that by the time someone presents symptoms, it is generally rather late in the game. Looking for a way to detect the affliction earlier on, researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a wireless network for use by senior living centers. Utilizing a series of receivers placed strategically around the building and RFID transponders worn on the wrists of patients, the system monitors people's walking patterns, looking for actions characteristic of cognitive decline -- including a tendency to wander, to veer suddenly, or to pause repeatedly. So far the study has found a statistical relationship between abnormal walking patterns and people for whom testing indicated dementia. The next step is to take that data and look for ways to predict the disease. Good luck, kids -- and hurry up. We ain't getting any younger 'round here.

JHU researchers create self-assembling organic wires

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 27th 2008 at 1:42PM

Once more it looks like Johns Hopkins has taken humanity a step closer to full-blown Borg-hood. A research team at the school has created water-soluble electronic materials that spontaneously assemble themselves into wires some 10,000 times smaller than a human hair, for potential uses that include regulating cell-to-cell communication, re-engineering neural networks, repairing damaged spinal cords and transforming individuals into cybernetically enhanced drones. The researchers also point out that the self-assembly principles used to create the nano-scale wires are based on those of beta-amyloid plaques (which have been associated with Alzheimers), so the research may someday lead to a better understanding of the disease. This is definitely good news, but we can't help but think that once we've been assimilated into the hive mind Alzheimer's will be the least of our concerns.

[Via TG Daily]

Keruve GPS locator promises to keep watch on Alzheimer's patients

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 14th 2008 at 11:25AM

There's plenty of people-tracking GPS devices out there to choose from, but if you're in need of something a bit more specialized, you may want to consider this latest device from Keruve, which is apparently intended specifically for Alzheimer's patients. To that end, the system employs a GPS tracker bracelet that's water-proof and can only be removed with a special tool -- it can also apparently fall back on cell tower triangulation (otherwise known as A-GPS) provide a location when regular GPS is unavailable. As you can see above, that gets paired with a handheld unit that pinpoints the patient's location on a map, but the entire kit doesn't exactly come cheap, with it setting you back €850 (or about $1,340).

[Via NaviGadget]

Researchers craft new testing device to detect early Alzheimer's

by Darren Murph posted Jan 19th 2008 at 8:34PM

We've heard that the "gold standard" pen and paper test seems to work fairly well at detecting the earliest stage of Alzheimer's disease, but gurus from Georgia Tech and Emory University have teamed up to develop a much quicker method for accomplishing the same. The ten-minute DETECT test utilizes a head-worn visor with a built-in LCD, headphones and a handheld controller, which the patient interacts with as he / she is put through a series of visual and auditory tests that "assess cognitive abilities relative to age," gauge reaction time and measure memory capabilities. Initial tests have purportedly shown it to have "similar accuracy" to the aforementioned pen and paper test (which takes around 90-minutes to administer), and while we've no idea when the device will be available for public use, its creators have already formed a firm (Zenda Technologies) to commercialize it. Finally, a legitimate use for head-mounted displays -- thought we'd never see the day.

[Via Wired]

VeriChip chipping 200 Alzheimer's patients for RFID VeriMed trials

by Paul Miller posted Sep 4th 2007 at 11:15AM

Maybe it's our inevitable future, but we still can't help but feel a bit icky at the thought of VeriChip implanting VeriMed RFID chips into 90 volunteers suffering from Alzheimer's. The two-year trial program, VeriMed Patient Identification Project, will involve 200 patients, and apparently so far everybody is pretty upbeat about the idea. We first heard about this a couple months ago, but it seems things are really ramping up. The chips are designed to manage the records of the patients and their caregivers, and VeriChip is confident that it'll be growing into other "high-risk patient categories" soon.

Alzheimer's patients, caregivers receiving VeriMed RFID chips

by Darren Murph posted Jun 11th 2007 at 9:12PM

Caring for those with Alzheimer's could be getting a whole lot less stressful, as VeriChip has reportedly doled out 25 VeriMed RFID implantable microchips at the Alzheimer's Community Care 2007 Alzheimer's Educational Conference. Of course, these aren't the first invasive chips that the company has crammed under folks' skin for one reason or another, but these data packin' devices are aiming to provide medical personnel "quick access to identification and medical records information in an emergency situation." Interestingly, not much else was said about future rollouts beyond this small sample trial, but we can't imagine these not showing up en masse (and in humans) once it gets the green light from regulators.