# Development of Memesto, a wearable repetitive message and music therapy device that senses and reduces agitation in persons with AD/ADRD.

> **NIH NIH R43** · EDGEWATER SAFETY SYSTEMS LLC · 2021 · $499,969

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) are age-associated neuro-degenerative diseases
characterized by memory loss, disorientation, and reduced decision-making capacity and self-care. 70% of the
7.2+ million Americans with AD/ADRD experience problematic agitation that includes aggression,
combativeness, shouting, exit-seeking and disinhibition. An urgent need exists for interventions that improve
health outcomes for these individuals. Utilizing findings that familiar-voice-based brain pathways and
reminiscent music are preserved until very late stage ADRD, Edgewater Safety Systems developed a smart
wearable media player (Memesto) that family and other caregivers could use with a web app to record,
schedule and deliver voice and music to an ADRD patient through this device. Caregivers were able to record
greetings, reminders to take medication, drink water or eat lunch, and these messages could be played for the
patient via the device at set dates and times. In a follow-up survey with caregivers who used the Memesto with
patients at care facilities, 11 of 11 rated it 4.5 out of 5 for “usefulness in mitigating agitation.” Edgewater
proposes to develop a more innovative wearable device that senses rising agitation in the patient and
automatically plays therapeutic messages and music shown to have had the greatest success reducing or
eliminating agitation in the wearer’s previous episodes. With this next generation Memesto, Edgewater aims to
improve quality of life for a diverse population of ADRD persons; diminish the use of potentially harmful drugs
as an intervention; and help reduce stress and burnout in caregivers. The new Memesto will have four key
elements of innovation: 1) repetitive, programmable voice and music therapy in a wearable device, a first for
AD/ADRD care; 2) web-based app that enables family and friends to deliver personal messages and music
anytime; 3) agitation-sensing system that reads biometric data from non-invasive body-worn sensors to
automatically deploy media therapy; and 4) sensor data taken at start and end of the played media to
determine effectiveness of that media in reducing agitation and continually prioritize the most effective media.
In the Phase I study, Edgewater will partner with Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center to: 1) carry out a 10-week
clinical trial on 20 ADRD persons to gather quantitative evidence of the original audio player’s effectiveness at
reducing agitation; and 2) demonstrate feasibility of ADRD agitation detection and automated intervention.
Phase II will focus on complete implementation of a fully automated, miniaturized, wearable Memesto device
and a broad field trial testing efficacy of the new agitation sensing and automated intervention system. The
Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostics and Therapeutics market reached $7.5 billion in 2018, with a projection of
$11.1 billion by 2024. There is a pool of 5 million U.S. ADRD sufferers who experience agitation who would
bene...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10322846
- **Project number:** 1R43AG074725-01
- **Recipient organization:** EDGEWATER SAFETY SYSTEMS LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeffery Banker
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $499,969
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-15 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10322846

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10322846, Development of Memesto, a wearable repetitive message and music therapy device that senses and reduces agitation in persons with AD/ADRD. (1R43AG074725-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10322846. Licensed CC0.

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