Digital Health Technologies for Cognitive Assessment in Older Adults

Digital health technologies are transforming the way cognitive function is assessed in older adults, shifting from infrequent clinic visits to continuous or episodic monitoring in real-world settings. Advances in mobile devices, wearable sensors and ambient monitoring systems enable the capture of behavioural, physiological and cognitive data with minimal intrusion. Such approaches support early detection of subtle decline, personalised risk profiling and remote follow-up, thereby broadening access to assessment and reducing burden on healthcare services. Integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence adds predictive power, facilitating adaptive testing and the identification of novel digital biomarkers. Globally, these innovations hold promise for improving the timeliness of diagnosis, guiding interventions and monitoring disease progression in ageing populations.

Research from Nature Portfolio

One foundational study employed unobtrusive in-home sensors to monitor activities of daily living over extended periods. By mapping room-to-room movement and interaction patterns, researchers visualised changes in routine that distinguished older adults with dementia from healthy peers. Over 20 days of continuous monitoring, measures of behavioural heterogeneity achieved high accuracy in classifying cognitive status, demonstrating the potential of passive, environment-embedded sensors to quantify function and track progression without active user involvement.

Digital Health Technologies for Cognitive Assessment in Older Adults publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in digital health technologies for cognitive assessment in older adults across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Digital biomarker: Quantitative physiological or behavioural measure collected via digital devices to infer cognitive or health status.

Augmented reality (AR): Technology overlaying computer-generated information onto the physical environment to simulate everyday tasks.

Passive sensor: Device that records environmental or physiological signals without requiring active user engagement.

Ecological validity: Degree to which assessment results reflect authentic real-world behaviour and contexts.

References

1. Augmented reality versus standard tests to assess cognition and function in early Alzheimer’s disease. npj Digital Medicine (2023).
2. Artificial intelligence for dementia—Applied models and digital health. Alzheimer's & Dementia (2023).
3. Identifying older adults at risk for dementia based on smartphone data obtained during a wayfinding task in the real world. PLOS Digital Health (2024).
4. Cognitive impairment categorized in community-dwelling older adults with and without dementia using in-home sensors that recognise activities of daily living. Scientific Reports (2017).