Clinicians have evaluated motion measurement technologies in older adults with depression, dementia, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Results from studies in dementia populations suggest that motion measurement technologies can assist clinicians in diagnosing dementia earlier through the evaluation of gait, balance, and postural kinematics. Motion detection technologies can also be used to identify mood episodes at an earlier stage by detecting subtle behavioral changes. Clinicians may use the objective data provided by technologies such as accelerometers to identify illnesses earlier, which may inform treatment decisions. The data may be used as a suitable surrogate marker for detecting depression in older adults, predicting the likelihood of falls, or quantifying physical activity in older adults with chronic mental illnesses or anxiety. Motion-based technologies also have the potential to detect physical activity for older adults residing in nursing homes. Wearable technologies are generally well tolerated in older adults, although the use of new technology and electronic health data could involve privacy and security concerns among this vulnerable population.
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