Utilizing Technology and AI Approaches to Facilitate Independence and Resilience in Older Adults

The U.S. population of adults aged ≥65-years will grow from 54.1 to 94.7 million by the year 2060 and this demographic shift will be accompanied by a substantial increase in dementia prevalence. A growing literature supports a critical link between sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment and decline. Poor sleep, specifically decrements in the slow-wave oscillations that

occur during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) slow-wave sleep (SWS), are being studied as possible points of intervention. During SWS, memory traces encoded during the day are reactivated, strengthened, and transferred from the hippocampus to the neocortex, where they become more durable, long-term memories. Thus, SWS shows promise as a target for

therapies aimed at modulating AD pathophysiology and slowing or even preventing AD. Within this proposal, we are developing a wearable technology that slows cognitive decline in older adults in the comfort of their own homes. Our digital therapeutic employs an EEG headband and closed-loop neurostimulation to enhance brain activity during slow wave sleep. By adapting this

technology to the unique needs of older adults and packaging the complex sensors, circuitry, and algorithms into a comfortable headband, we are translating this laboratory technique into an accessible therapy.