Measuring Electrodermal Activity to Improve the Identification of Agitation in Individuals with Dementia

Abstract

Background: Understanding and interpreting the complexity of agitation in people with dementia is challenging. Objective: To explore whether a sensor measuring electrodermal activity (EDA) can improve the identification of agitation in individuals with dementia. Methods: Nine individuals with dementia wore a sensor that measured EDA. During the same time, assistant nurses annotated the observed behavior of the person with dementia. A binary logistic regression model was applied to assess the relationship between the sensor and the assistant nurses’ structured observations of agitation. Results: The sensor values correlated with the assistant nurses’ observations both at the time of the observation and 1 and 2 h prior to the observation. Conclusion: A sensor measuring EDA can support early detection of agitation in persons with dementia.