Gait Monitoring System to Track Cognitive Decline in People at Risk for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias
Official title: A Gait and Path Tortuosity System for Monitoring Cognitive Decline in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease and/or Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD)
Funded at Innovative Design Labs, INC. · NIH-11393757 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A wearable or remote gait-monitoring system that people at risk for Alzheimer’s can use to help detect early signs of cognitive decline.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Innovative Design Labs, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2019 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $962,408 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AG063679-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393757 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 and older who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimer’s-related dementias and who live in the community.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without risk for cognitive decline or those not using in-community monitoring may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a sensing system that passively measures how someone walks and uses those gait patterns as early signals of cognitive change. It aims to create production-ready hardware and software that can report gait metrics in real time, both in labs and in people’s communities. By tracking changes in daily function, the system could help families, caregivers, and clinicians understand when cognitive status is shifting and when additional care or evaluation may be needed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the system could provide early indicators of cognitive decline to guide timely interventions and support.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows gait changes can correlate with cognitive changes, supporting potential utility of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Innovative Design Labs, INC.
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Condon, John Paul — Innovative Design Labs, INC.
- Study coordinator: Condon, John Paul
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.