Smart bracelets could read the hidden signs of apathy in dementia

NCT ID NCT04865172

Completed Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 31, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether wearable sensors and caregiver questionnaires can capture the behavioral signs of apathy in people with dementia during daily life. Patients with Alzheimer's or frontotemporal dementia and their caregivers wear a sensor bracelet for 28 days, while caregivers answer weekly questions via a smartphone app. The goal is to see if these remote measurements can reliably track apathy-related behaviors like activity levels, sleep quality, and emotional arousal, potentially paving the way for a home-based monitoring tool.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Remote monitoring with a wearable sensor bracelet and smartphone questionnaires
What this could lead to: If successful, this could lead to a tool for remotely tracking apathy in dementia patients, helping caregivers and clinicians monitor the condition from home.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study focused on measurement, not treatment. The findings may not generalize, and sensor data may not reliably reflect apathy.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia Pick disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ALZHEIMER DISEASE FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA, BEHAVIORAL VARIANT

Contacts and locations

Locations

ICM, Hôpital Salpêtrière

Paris, 75013, France

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