£400 gadget to spot signs of dementia

AN at-home device that could detect early signs of dementia could be available in five years, experts say.

Scientists have developed a £400 box that uses video game technology to monitor a person’s gait as they move around a room.

The Sense4Safety system, installed on the ceiling, uses infrared depth sensors to analyse walking speed, stride length and time taken to stand up and travel a certain distance. It can then detect subtle changes – indicating rising instability – to be examined by professionals.

Professor George Demiris, of the University of Pennsylvania, presented it at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference in Washington DC.

Previous studies have shown changes in walking speed occur as early as a decade before the development of dementia.

Professor Demiris said further testing could make the devices available in around five years.