Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are key life tasks necessary for independent living. These include cooking, cleaning, managing finances, and more. Severe cognitive impairment impedes individuals from completing these tasks, leading to a reduction in IADLs. Traditionally, clinical assessments of IADLs occur every 3-6 months through a series of questions to gauge activity levels and monitor cognitive decline. Ram Kinker Mishra, PhD, BioSensics LLC, Newton, MA, introduces IADLSys, an innovative smart-home design concept for continuous cognitive decline tracking. Sensors affixed to household objects like microwaves or doors monitor physical activity levels in specific areas. Initial testing in two populations, one with mild cognitive impairment and one with severe cognitive impairment, revealed that subjects from the latter group tend to overestimate their activity levels, while those from the mild cognitive impairment group provide more accurate evaluations. These findings suggest the potential implementation of IADLSys as a strategy to more effectively evaluate IADLs in the cognitively impaired population, reducing subjective biases and dependence on expert assessment. This interview took place at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) congress 2023 in Boston.
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