The Swiss Primary Hypersomnolence and Narcolepsy Cohort Study: feasibility of long-term monitoring with Fitbit smartwatches in central disorders of hypersomnolence and extraction of digital biomarkers in narcolepsy


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2024-09

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Journal Article

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Abstract

The Swiss Primary Hypersomnolence and Narcolepsy Cohort Study (SPHYNCS) is a multicenter research initiative to identify new biomarkers in central disorders of hypersomnolence (CDH). Whereas narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is well characterized, other CDH disorders lack precise biomarkers. In SPHYNCS, we utilized Fitbit smartwatches to monitor physical activity, heart rate, and sleep parameters over 1 year. We examined the feasibility of long-term ambulatory monitoring using the wearable device. We then explored digital biomarkers differentiating patients with NT1 from healthy controls (HC). A total of 115 participants received a Fitbit smartwatch. Using a adherence metric to evaluate the usability of the wearable device, we found an overall adherence rate of 80% over 1 year. We calculated daily physical activity, heart rate, and sleep parameters from 2 weeks of greatest adherence to compare NT1 (n = 20) and HC (n = 9) participants. Compared to controls, NT1 patients demonstrated fndings consistent with increased sleep fragmentation, including signifcantly greater wake-after-sleep onset (p = .007) and awakening index (p = .025), as well as standard deviation of time in bed (p = .044). Moreover, NT1 patients exhibited a signifcantly shorter REM latency (p = .019), and sleep latency (p = .001), as well as a lower peak heart rate (p = .008), heart rate standard deviation (p = .039) and high-intensity activity (p = .009) compared to HC. This ongoing study demonstrates the feasibility of long-term monitoring with wearable technology in patients with CDH and potentially identifes a digital biomarker profle for NT1. While further validation is needed in larger datasets, these data suggest that long-term wearable technology may play a future role in diagnosing and managing narcolepsy

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published

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47 (9)

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Oxford University Press

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digital biomarkers; hypersomnolence; narcolepsy; telemonitoring; wearables

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03654 - Riener, Robert / Riener, Robert check_circle

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