Wearables and genetics to find sleep signs of early Alzheimer's
Genomics-guided sleep biomarker discovery for early Alzheimer's disease: A wearables study
This project uses consumer wearables plus genetic risk information to spot early sleep and heart-rate changes linked to Alzheimer's in older adults at higher genetic risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Amherst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hadley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11311869 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll wear a consumer smartwatch and an EEG headband that record sleep, heart rate, activity, and related signals while going about your daily life. Researchers will link those wearable signals to genetic risk information from the Mass General Brigham Biobank to search for patterns that appear before memory problems start. The team will apply artificial intelligence methods to create digital fingerprints of early Alzheimer's and compare which devices give the clearest signals. The focus is on older adults who are currently cognitively normal but have elevated genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer's.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults who are cognitively normal but have elevated genetic risk for Alzheimer's (for example higher polygenic risk or APOE-related risk) and who can wear a smartwatch and EEG headband.
Not a fit: People without elevated genetic risk, younger individuals, or those unable or unwilling to use wearable devices are less likely to gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable earlier, low-cost, noninvasive detection of Alzheimer's risk using devices you can wear at home, allowing more time for planning or early interventions.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked sleep changes to future dementia, but combining consumer wearables with genetics-guided AI for early detection is a relatively new and emerging approach.
Where this research is happening
Hadley, United States
- University of Massachusetts Amherst — Hadley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dutta, Joyita — University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Study coordinator: Dutta, Joyita
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.