How Everyday Tech and Digital Biomarkers Can Spot Dementia Early

The Rising Prevalence of Dementia

Dementia is not only a clinical condition, it is a deeply human one. It touches families, caregivers, and communities in profound ways. In 2019, an estimated 55 million people worldwide were living with dementia, a number expected to rise to 139 million by 2050 (WHO). Beyond the personal toll, this increase places growing pressure on healthcare systems already under strain (WHO).

Early detection is one of the most powerful levers we have. Identifying dementia at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or preclinical stage gives physicians a window to intervene with medications, lifestyle modifications, or planning support. Yet our current tools, neuropsychological tests, MRI scans, cerebrospinal fluid analysis are often costly, invasive, and limited in accessibility (NIH).

That means millions remain undiagnosed until symptoms become obvious and quality of life has already declined. The problem is not just clinical, it is economic and operational. Late diagnosis increases care costs, strains family caregivers, and delays treatment.

How Smartphones and Keystrokes Reveal Early Signs of Dementia

Have you ever noticed your senior parent or loved one typing more slowly on their phone or laptop, taking longer than usual to reply, or using their favourite apps less?

These seemingly ordinary interactions of how quickly we type, how often we log in, how many apps we use are far from trivial. Research has shown that they reflect the cognitive and motor processes that dementia disrupts earliest: attention, memory, executive planning, and fine motor control.

Here’s what technological usage looks like in older adults, according to recent research: 

• Typing speed and rhythm: People with MCI type more slowly, make more errors, and pause more often between keystrokes (PMC).

• App usage diversity: Healthy older adults tend to use a wide range of applications (email, search, word processing), while those with MCI often retreat to simpler, fewer apps.

• Routine changes: Starting computer sessions later in the day or skipping them altogether may indicate cognitive fatigue or avoidance (PMC).

• Language simplification: Emails and texts may show shorter sentences, reduced vocabulary, or more pronouns instead of specific nouns.

Taken together, these patterns form what researchers call a “digital cognitive phenotype.” In plain terms, your device interactions may be as revealing as any cognitive test administered in a clinic (PMC).

Here is where technology offers a paradigm shift. Nearly every older adult today interacts with digital devices daily. 61% of seniors reportedly own a smartphone, with 45% even using social media (Pew Research Center). Smartphones, tablets, and computers have become embedded in our routines, from sending WhatsApp messages to checking email or browsing the news. The tools are already right at our fingertips. 

The Science Behind Digital Biomarkers

While still investigational, digital biomarkers are already being demonstrated in peer-reviewed studies.

• Stringer et al. (2018) found that subtle changes in computer use, such as more frequent pauses and slower typing, correlated strongly with memory performance  (PMC).

• Bernstein et al. (2021) researchers observed that healthy seniors engaged more in cognitively demanding apps like email and search, while MCI patients showed marked declines (PMC).

• Park et al. (2024) demonstrated that smartphone keystroke metrics not only distinguished MCI patients from healthy individuals with ~82% accuracy but actually outperformed the gold-standard MoCA screening test when combined with conventional features (PMC).

• Surveys show that older adults are surprisingly open to sharing smartphone-derived cognitive data as long as privacy and consent are respected (PMC). 

Taken collectively, the evidence indicates that passively collected device data can flag cognitive decline earlier and more reliably than many traditional approaches.

Why This Matters for Business and Healthcare

For families, earlier insights could mean being able to step in with support before a crisis. Before any missed medication, falls or forgotten appointment. For older adults themselves, it’s about protecting independence for as long as possible. It could mean gaining earlier insights into when support is needed.

The idea of using everyday device data to understand brain health could have a ripple effect across the healthcare system. For clinicians, it could mean having another tool to notice early changes. Something they can layer alongside existing assessments. 

Health systems and insurers could also benefit indirectly. If problems are identified sooner, treatment plans and lifestyle interventions can start earlier, which may help delay more expensive or intensive care. In research, especially clinical trials, these kinds of biomarkers could make it easier to find participants at the right stage of disease and follow their progress outside the clinic.

Even in senior living communities, where independence and safety are constant concerns, subtle changes in device use might offer quiet signals that someone needs more attention. And since the devices are already in people’s hands, technology companies have a role to play in exploring how these signals can be captured responsibly.

Barriers on the Road Ahead

As promising as this approach is, several barriers must be addressed before digital device usage can move from research into routine clinical practice.

1. Device diversity

Digital ecosystems are fragmented. The typing dynamics captured on an iPhone keyboard may differ substantially from those on an Android device, and operating system updates can alter how data is recorded overnight. Any reliable system for early detection must be robust enough to normalise across platforms and withstand technical variability over time.

2. Limited study scale

Most current findings are based on relatively small cohorts, often just dozens or a few hundred participants. These pilot studies are encouraging but insufficient for generalisation. To build clinically valid tools, we need much larger, longitudinal datasets that reflect diverse populations, languages, and cultural contexts.

3. Privacy and ethics

Passive monitoring offers clinical value but carries real risks. Device usage logs do not only reflect cognitive status, they can reveal social networks, browsing patterns, and daily routines. Safeguards such as on-device processing, federated learning, and strict anonymisation must become the default. Equally important is ensuring meaningful, ongoing consent from participants, particularly when working with cognitively vulnerable populations.

4. Clinical and regulatory integration

No passive device-usage tool has yet received clearance from regulators like the FDA or EMA. Moving toward approval will require robust evidence that these biomarkers improve patient outcomes, not just classification accuracy. Clinicians will also need practical guidelines on how to interpret and act on the data, while payers will need reimbursement models that make adoption viable. Without these structures, even effective tools may remain stuck in research settings (PMC)

5. Human considerations

Finally, there is the emotional dimension. Early detection can be valuable, but receiving an alert that “your device shows signs of dementia” is not always desired. False positives could generate unnecessary distress, while false negatives could delay care. For this reason, any deployment must be paired with thoughtful implementation: confirmatory testing, psychological support, and careful communication strategies that prioritise the person, not just the data.

Final Thoughts: From Fitness Tracking to Brain Health Tracking

The trajectory of health technology offers a helpful analogy. Ten years ago, step counters and sleep trackers were niche gadgets. Today, they are mainstream, and millions of people use them daily to manage cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Cognitive health could follow the same path. The future of annual check-up could include not just blood pressure and cholesterol but a digital cognition score generated seamlessly from your smartphone or computer interactions. Imagine senior living communities where device monitoring quietly supports independence and alerts caregivers when decline begins.

The pieces are already in place: billions of connected devices, advanced AI models, and a clear clinical need. What is required now is the will to build ethical, validated, and scalable systems.

Ultimately, this is not just about algorithms or apps. It’s about helping millions of people hold on to what matters most: their independence, their memories, and their connections to the people they love

Collaborate on dementia early detection research

The dementia challenge is too big for any one sector to solve alone. Progress will depend on partnerships that bring together healthcare expertise, technology, and research. That’s where we come in.

We’re building solutions that turn everyday digital biomarkers into meaningful insights to help detect dementia early, always with privacy, ethics, and real-world usability at the core.

If you are a healthcare provider, payer, senior living operator, or innovator in digital health, we invite you to explore how we can work together:

• Collaborate on data and validation to strengthen the evidence base.

• Co-develop privacy-first approaches that build trust with patients and families.

• Pilot implementations in real settings, from clinics to senior living communities.

• Shape the regulatory path forward by engaging early with policymakers and payers.

We believe technology can help transform dementia care, but it will take collaboration to make it real. If your organization shares that vision, we’d like to start the conversation.

The opportunity is both human and commercial. By turning everyday device interactions into early-warning signals, we can reshape dementia care, reduce costs, and, most importantly, to protect the independence and quality of life for millions.

The future of dementia detection is already in our hands. Quite literally, in every tap, swipe, and keystroke.

Stay Connected with HIA

If your business is interested in working with the HIA on Dementia or Precision Cohort analysis of any kind, then contact us at partner@healthimpactalliance.com with a brief outline of your proposal.

Stay updated on the future of senior health technology; follow our LinkedIn and X for updates and insights. Interested in joining as a collaborator? Visit our website to learn more and get involved.