# A Gait and Path Tortuosity System for Monitoring Cognitive Decline in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease and/or Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD)

> **NIH NIH R44** · INNOVATIVE DESIGN LABS, INC. · 2024 · $705,763

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Proposed is a sensing system that unobtrusively measures and reports gait properties that are correlated to
accepted measures of cognitive decline. Significance: As of 2023, there were 6.7 million Americans living with
AD/ADRD. Due to the aging demographics, this number is projected to double by 2050 at an estimated annual
direct cost of $1.1 trillion. Measures of cognitive decline can help to inform family members, caregivers, and
health-care providers about the functional status and needs of independent-living older individuals. The need
to improve the assessment of cognitive changes affecting daily functions has been identified by the NIH and
National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Many ADLs such as shopping, housecleaning, and bathing are difficult
to measure objectively. Measuring these ADLs is generally manually intensive, often requiring direct
supervision by a caregiver. The changing US demographics indicates that more aging adults will no longer
have the frequent interaction with caregivers required to make these measures accurately. Hypothesis: A
remotely administered system can be created that can accurately measure in-community gait parameters and
be used to monitor signs of cognitive decline. Specific Aims: In Phase II, IDL will 1) Complete production-
ready hardware and software systems; 2) Optimize and evaluate the performance of gait parameter estimation
algorithms; and 3) Evaluate system’s performance through in-lab and in-community testing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11008106
- **Project number:** 2R44AG063679-02
- **Recipient organization:** INNOVATIVE DESIGN LABS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** John Paul Condon
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $705,763
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11008106

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11008106, A Gait and Path Tortuosity System for Monitoring Cognitive Decline in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease and/or Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) (2R44AG063679-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11008106. Licensed CC0.

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