Keep it in mind: headphones and smart bracelets will detect brain disorders

Smart bracelets and headphones will be able to monitor biological signals and the brain's response to various types of stimulation in order to detect disruptions in advance. Scientists at Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Lobachevsky are developing wearable devices within the CognyTest system, which also evaluates a wide range of cognitive functions, determines mental age and selects personal exercises for brain training. Among the parameters studied are spatial perception, balance, the ability to resolve cognitive conflicts, verbal skills, and other indicators. How the technology works and whether it can replace a visit to a doctor is described in the Izvestia article.

Transition to an aging trajectory

Nizhny Novgorod Lobachevsky State University (NNSU) has developed a comprehensive CognyTest system capable of determining mental age and selecting personal exercises for brain training. Its main difference from previous university decisions is that it is not limited to calculating a single indicator of cognitive age. It evaluates a wide range of functions and allows you to determine which of them begin to change in a particular person before others.

— We have built a system that can evaluate the maximum set of cognitive functions. Only a part of them has high correlations with age. Therefore, it is important not only to determine a person's mental age, but also to tell which aging trajectory his brain is following — which of the areas responsible for cognitive processes was affected first," said Maria Vedunova, director of the Institute of Biology and Biomedicine at UNN.

The assessed parameters include memory and spatial perception, balance, the ability to resolve cognitive conflicts, volitional component and verbal skills. This approach makes it possible to identify individual weaknesses that may remain unnoticeable when calculating a single indicator of cognitive age.

According to the developers, the new system combines an assessment of the state of the brain with subsequent training. It should automatically select exercises for the user, taking into account those functions that require additional load, instead of the person independently choosing the most convenient tasks.

— People like to do what they can do. When they choose their own tests, they choose the most difficult ones, but the ones they do well. And this is wrong — we are creating a personalization unit that will offer tests that are necessary for a particular brain, and not the easiest ones. It's like a good trainer in a fitness room who will tell you how to train properly," explained Maria Vedunova.

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The project uses various wearable devices, including headphones and wristbands. They allow us to evaluate the brain's response to different types of stimulation and the level of adaptation of the nervous system. Various variants of electroencephalography (EEG) are used to verify the received biological signals.

— Wearable devices can help determine the level of adaptation of your brain by its response to different types of stimulation. This is the first stage before starting the treatment course," said Maria Vedunova.

Currently, the equipment and software are being upgraded jointly with Madin Group of Companies. Developers are striving to increase the autonomy of data analysis to make devices more convenient to use. At the same time, the possibility of using technology to detect such disorders remains a promising area of development and does not mean that CognyTest has already become an independent tool for making appropriate diagnoses.

In the future, the development of wearable devices and mathematical models may allow the technology to be used to detect early signs of neurodegenerative diseases. UNN also plans to investigate the so—called digital dementia - the deterioration of memory, attention and thinking, which is associated with excessive dependence on smartphones, navigators and search engines, as well as pathological aging.

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Constant monitoring of the mental state

According to experts, the development of CognyTest reflects a broader transition from a one-time assessment of cognitive abilities to continuous monitoring of a person's condition. Wearable devices are already capable of continuously recording various physiological parameters, but the key is not the collection of information itself, but its interpretation and use.

— The very logic of evaluating cognitive functions changes with the speed of life. Previously, it was a one—time slice - test, score, output on paper. Today, when the information flow and the pace of decisions have multiplied, it is not the static indicator that is important, but the dynamics.: how a person concentrates, switches between tasks, recovers from overload, and keeps their attention in the notification stream," said Daria Figurkina, Talent Director at Swordfish Security Group.

According to her, it is AI and wearable devices that make it possible to switch to this format of surveillance. Smart watches, wristbands, neural interfaces, and specialized systems can collect data for a long time, and algorithms can turn it into recommendations.

— The assessment ceases to be an "exam" and becomes an accompaniment — regular, adaptive, integrated into everyday life, — the expert noted.

At the same time, modern gadgets are already able to track stress levels, sleep quality, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation and other indicators, added Daria Figurkina. According to her, technologically, data collection has already been solved in many ways, and the main question remains how a person will use the information received. She emphasized that the value of technology is not in the fact of measurement itself, but in the informed choice that it prompts.

Andrey Yarnykh, a member of the ROCIT Board and an iATR Award winner, also believes that the development of such systems will make the assessment of cognitive functions more accessible.

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— Previously, to check the health of the brain, you had to go to the doctor and undergo complex and expensive examinations, but here anyone can take a test on a regular smartphone in 15 minutes, — said the expert.

According to him, such tests can provide not only a general assessment of the cognitive state, but also show which functions — memory, attention or reaction speed — work worse. This allows you to pay attention to specific features and choose personal exercises.

— This is especially important for the early detection of problems, when a person himself does not yet feel obvious disorders, but the brain is already beginning to age, — said Andrey Yarnykh.

Photo: Global Look Press/Chen Zhonghao

In the future, the expert believes, the assessment of cognitive functions may become part of ongoing monitoring. Smart watches, glasses and other wearable devices will be able to track activity, sleep, pulse and other indicators, helping to detect signs of overload and possible disorders at an early stage. However, such technologies do not replace medical diagnostics. If alarming changes or symptoms occur, a person still needs to see a doctor and undergo a specialized examination. In this case, wearable devices can become an additional tool for monitoring the state of the body and help to timely pay attention to possible health problems.