Wayfinding Task on Smartphone Can Detect Subjective Cognitive Decline
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2024 -- Subtle cognitive changes in patients with subjective cognitive decline can be identified using smartphone data collected during a wayfinding task, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in PLOS Digital Health.
Jonas Marquardt, from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Magdeburg, and colleagues examined the differences in smartphone-assisted wayfinding behavior in a sample of patients with subjective cognitive decline who scored normally on neuropsychological assessments and cognitively healthy older and younger adults. Participants had to find locations along a short route on the medical campus of Magdeburg University, guided by a mobile application ("Explore").
The researchers found that performance measures that were extracted from GPS and user input data could differentiate between the groups. In older participants, the number of orientation stops was predictive of subjective cognitive decline status.
"With the rising adoption of smartphones and wearables in older age groups, data from mobile applications like the 'Explore' app could ultimately be used as a screening tool to stratify subjects with regard to the need of extended cognitive and clinical diagnostics," the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to neotiv GmbH.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Helping Others Linked to Higher Level of Cognitive Function
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Helping others, both via formal volunteering and informal helping, is associated with higher levels of cognitive function and slower cognitive decline...
TAR-200 Monotherapy Promising for BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- For patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), an intravesical...
Work-Related Income Drops for Parents of Children Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 -- Work-related income decreases sharply for mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, with similar effects across sociodemographic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.