Validation of noninvasive body sensor network technology in the detection of agitation in dementia

Objective: Agitated behaviors are one of the most frequent reasons that patients with dementia are placed in long-term care settings. This study aims to validate the ability of a custom Body Sensor Network (BSN) to capture the presence of agitation against currently accepted subjective measures, the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the Aggressive Behavior Scale (ABS) and to discriminate between agitation and cognitive decline. Methods: Six patients identified as being at high risk for agitated behaviors were enrolled in this study. The devices were applied at three sites for three hours while behaviors were annotated simultaneously and subsequently repeated twice for each enrolled subject. Results: We found that the BSN was a valid measure of agitation based on construct validity testing and secondary validation using non-parametric ANOVAs. Discussion: The BSN shows promise from these pilot results. Further testing with a larger sample is needed to replicate these results.