Abstract
BackgroundOne of the more common behavioral manifestations of dementia-related disorders is severe problems with out-of-home mobility. Various efforts have been attempted to attain a better understanding of mobility behavior, but most studies are based on institutionalized patients and the assessment usually relies on reports of caregivers and institutional staff, using observational approaches, activity monitoring, or behavioral checklists. The current manuscript describes the research protocol of a project that measures mobility in Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive disorders in an innovative way, by taking advantage of advanced tracking technologies.Methods/designParticipants are 360 demented persons, mildly cognitively impaired persons, and unimpaired controls aged ≥ 65 in Israel and Germany. Data regarding space-time activities will be collected via a GPS tracking kit for a period of 4 weeks in 3 waves (one year apart) with the same participants (using a repeated measures design). Participants will be interviewed by use of a battery of instruments prior to and following GPS data collection. Further, a family member will complete a questionnaire both before and after data tracking.Statistical analyses will strive to explain differences in mobility based on a wide range of socio-structural, clinical, affect-related and environmental variables. We will also assess the impact of the use of advanced tracking technology on the quality of life of dementia patients and care givers, as well as its potential as a diagnostic tool. Systematic assessment of ethical issues involved in the use of tracking technology will be an integral component of the project.DiscussionThis project will be able to make a substantial contribution to basic as well as applied and clinical aspects in the area of mobility and cognitive impairment research. The innovative technologies applied in this study will allow for assessing a range of dimensions of out-of-home mobility, and provide better quality data.
Highlights
One of the more common behavioral manifestations of dementia-related disorders is severe problems with out-of-home mobility
The innovative technologies applied in this study will allow for assessing a range of dimensions of out-of-home mobility, and provide better quality data
Intellectual impairment and cognitive disease, such as that associated with many dementias, constitute a serious threat to the wellbeing of older adults
Summary
The project will be able to make a substantial contribution to basic as well as applied and clinical gaps in the area of mobility and cognitive impairment research. The project is novel and innovative in several respects It utilizes and applies, for the first time in a systematic large-scale research project, continually evolving tracking technologies to a growing medical and psychosocial problem among older adults. Those technologies will allow for assessing more dimensions of the behavior, and provide better quality data, i.e., higher resolution, both in time and in space. The cross-national comparison in this project takes advantage of the expertise of a diverse group of researchers in each country, and will enable us to evaluate whether the mobility patterns observed are culturally-linked or consistent across cultures.
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