Spatial navigation deficits are commonly observed in dementia patients. Researchers are now leveraging smartphones to gather real-world data that can aid in identifying individuals at risk for dementia. Building on this approach, a study has investigated whether assessing wayfinding behavior could help determine the risk of developing dementia in individuals (n=23) with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) despite their normal performance on neuropsychological tests.
In the study, SCD patients and healthy individuals (n=49) were instructed to locate several buildings on the University Magdeburg campus using a mobile navigation app. The app displayed the map only when the participants stopped walking, encouraging them to memorize the streets and the locations of their destinations. Analysis of the navigation data revealed that the SCD patients made more orientation stops to locate their…
