Understanding automatic body responses (heart rate, sweating, pupil) in frontotemporal dementia
Characterizing autonomic impairments in Frontotemporal Dementia
This project will measure automatic body signals like heart rate variability, skin sweating, and pupil reactions in people with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and in similar people without dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171743 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
First, researchers will take detailed laboratory measurements of heart rate variability, electrodermal (sweat) activity, and pupil reactivity in 30 people with bvFTD and 30 matched control volunteers to see whether these signals differ and remain stable over time. Next, they will test ambulatory wearable garments and smartwatches in the same controlled lab setting and compare those readings to gold-standard equipment to check agreement. Then participants will try the wearable devices at home to determine whether regular, at-home monitoring is practical and provides reliable data. The aim is to identify wearable measures that match lab tests so monitoring can be done more easily outside the clinic.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia who can tolerate brief lab tests and wear monitoring devices are ideal candidates, with similar-age healthy volunteers included for comparison.
Not a fit: People with other dementia types, severe movement or vision problems that prevent device use, or those who are medically unstable are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable easier at-home monitoring of autonomic changes in bvFTD, helping doctors track symptoms and tailor care.
How similar studies have performed: Wearable devices have been used to track autonomic signals in some neurological and cardiovascular conditions, but reliable, repeatable measures specifically in bvFTD remain largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eldaief, Mark Christian — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Eldaief, Mark Christian
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 below.