LifeBio10.13.21
LifeBio, an age-tech solutions company using reminiscence therapy and life story work for social engagement of older populations, has announced its second National Institute on Aging (NIA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant of $448,462 to focus on the Alzheimer's disease population.
Research partner, Brown University, will lead the clinical study of LifeBioALZ, a new artificial intelligence driven, digital biomarker engine that will leverage natural conversation for wide scale accessibility in early detection and assessment of Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's-disease related dementia (AD/ADRD) progression.
"The funding from NIA allows us to use the latest technological advancements to develop diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that can help with chronic disease detection and management in our older populations, especially Alzheimer's disease which affects 1 in 3 seniors," said Beth Sanders, CEO and founder of LifeBio. "Reminiscence therapy has been an effective tool in dementia care and in addressing social determinants of health. Our current LifeBio Memory solution as well as this new tool, LifeBioALZ, will use artificial intelligence to take person-centered care and contextualized health to a new level."
"Communication changes can be difficult to measure for people living with dementia, especially when cognitive symptoms are mild," said Dr. Gary Epstein-Lubow, associate professor of Psychiatry at Brown University and geriatric psychiatrist at Butler Hospital. "This digital biomarker holds promise. We will be testing if LifeBioALZ can assist clinicians in better understanding speech patterns, eye movements, emotional changes, and other factors to aid in earlier detection and assessing changes over time." Dr. Michael Armey, a research psychologist at Butler Hospital and associate professor of Research in the Psychiatry and Human Behavior Department at Brown University, is also involved in the LifeBioALZ project.
According to the latest report from the Alzheimer's Association, 6 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer's, a neurodegenerative, fatal brain disease that has no cure. Pharmaceutical therapies to slow the disease progression are beneficial only if used in the early stages of the disease. Advancing diagnostic tools has been a main goal of organizations such as the Diagnostics Accelerator, a collaborative funding partnership with Bill Gates, Leonard Lauder, the Dolby family, Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott among other billionaire philanthropists. The goal is to challenge the research community to develop cutting-edge biomarkers and explore novel diagnostic technologies that will aid in Alzheimer's diagnosis and clinical trial design. LifeBioALZ is working toward this goal.
LifeBio has now secured two NIA SBIR grants since 2020 totaling almost $3 million to advance the therapeutic intervention of life story work coupled with advanced technologies for the Alzheimer's population. Its first NIA Phase II SBIR award, LifeBio Memory, received $2.4 million in grant funding in conjunction with research partner, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, to build a voice-driven, AI-powered life story platform. An upcoming clinical trial will measure specific impact on people living with dementia and their professional caregivers.
Research partner, Brown University, will lead the clinical study of LifeBioALZ, a new artificial intelligence driven, digital biomarker engine that will leverage natural conversation for wide scale accessibility in early detection and assessment of Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's-disease related dementia (AD/ADRD) progression.
"The funding from NIA allows us to use the latest technological advancements to develop diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that can help with chronic disease detection and management in our older populations, especially Alzheimer's disease which affects 1 in 3 seniors," said Beth Sanders, CEO and founder of LifeBio. "Reminiscence therapy has been an effective tool in dementia care and in addressing social determinants of health. Our current LifeBio Memory solution as well as this new tool, LifeBioALZ, will use artificial intelligence to take person-centered care and contextualized health to a new level."
"Communication changes can be difficult to measure for people living with dementia, especially when cognitive symptoms are mild," said Dr. Gary Epstein-Lubow, associate professor of Psychiatry at Brown University and geriatric psychiatrist at Butler Hospital. "This digital biomarker holds promise. We will be testing if LifeBioALZ can assist clinicians in better understanding speech patterns, eye movements, emotional changes, and other factors to aid in earlier detection and assessing changes over time." Dr. Michael Armey, a research psychologist at Butler Hospital and associate professor of Research in the Psychiatry and Human Behavior Department at Brown University, is also involved in the LifeBioALZ project.
According to the latest report from the Alzheimer's Association, 6 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer's, a neurodegenerative, fatal brain disease that has no cure. Pharmaceutical therapies to slow the disease progression are beneficial only if used in the early stages of the disease. Advancing diagnostic tools has been a main goal of organizations such as the Diagnostics Accelerator, a collaborative funding partnership with Bill Gates, Leonard Lauder, the Dolby family, Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott among other billionaire philanthropists. The goal is to challenge the research community to develop cutting-edge biomarkers and explore novel diagnostic technologies that will aid in Alzheimer's diagnosis and clinical trial design. LifeBioALZ is working toward this goal.
LifeBio has now secured two NIA SBIR grants since 2020 totaling almost $3 million to advance the therapeutic intervention of life story work coupled with advanced technologies for the Alzheimer's population. Its first NIA Phase II SBIR award, LifeBio Memory, received $2.4 million in grant funding in conjunction with research partner, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, to build a voice-driven, AI-powered life story platform. An upcoming clinical trial will measure specific impact on people living with dementia and their professional caregivers.
