Wearable, speech, and sweat tests to spot early memory and thinking changes
Non-Invasive Technology (NIT) Core F
This project uses wearable devices, short voice recordings, and easy sweat samples to look for early signs of age-related memory and thinking changes in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184296 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear small devices and use web modules that track steps, sleep, sedentary time, and heart responses, provide brief spoken recordings on a computer, and roll glass beads in your palm for a simple sweat sample. The Core collects these mobility, speech, and sweat signals and cleans and organizes the data for research use across the Precision Aging Network. Researchers then analyze the combined signals to find patterns that may predict personalized aging trajectories in thinking, behavior, physiology, and molecular markers. Participation is largely non-invasive and can include remote monitoring and simple at-home sample collection.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with mild memory or thinking changes, or those interested in monitoring cognitive aging and willing to use wearables, provide short voice recordings, and give simple sweat samples, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia who cannot follow device instructions or provide reliable samples, or those unwilling to use wearables or give sweat samples, are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow earlier, non-invasive detection of age-related memory and thinking changes and support more personalized interventions to preserve cognitive health.
How similar studies have performed: Wearable and speech-based monitoring approaches have shown promise for tracking cognitive changes, while sweat-based biochemical signatures are newer and less established.
Where this research is happening
Tucson, United States
- University of Arizona — Tucson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sternberg, Esther M. — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Sternberg, Esther M.
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.