The Ignored Symptom: Sleep Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Tonight nearly 750 million people in Europe will put on their pajamas, lay in their beds, close their eyes and try to fall into a deep and restful sleep. However, 35% of these people will lay awake, toss and turn and have disrupted and unsatisfying sleep. The morning after a restless night is usually met […]

“New Ways of Measuring Fatigue and Sleep Disturbances in Chronic Diseases” Webinar

Our IDEA-FAST webinar on “New Ways of Measuring Fatigue and Sleep Disturbances in Chronic Diseases” witnessed active participation from a diverse group of attendees, including representatives from patient advocacy organizations, industry professionals, researchers, and healthcare providers. The session focused on discussing the latest advancements in research and the potential benefits that digital endpoints can bring […]

Clinical Delivery Staff Interview – Lauren John

Clinical staff members play a pivotal role in the delivery of the ongoing Clinical Observational Study. Their expertise and dedication are essential for the successful execution of the study. To better understand what their roles and responsibilities are, we have engaged in a conversation with Ms. Lauren John, a research practitioner affiliated with the Royal […]

Early Career Researcher Spotlight – Jennifer Kudelka

In the second spotlight we talk to Dr. Jennifer Kudelka. She is a medical doctor at the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital in Kiel. After finishing her medical studies in 2021 and completing her doctoral thesis in neurogeriatrics, she started a position as a clinician scientist, which allows her to combine clinical and […]

Interview with New Associate PI of Newcastle

Dr. Jan Dixon, physician and researcher at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, is the new Associate Principal Investigator of UNEW in the IDEA-FAST project. 1.      You’re the new associate principal investigator of the NEWCASTLE. What does this entail? Can you walk us through your new role and associated responsibilities? This role offers an opportunity to […]

Early Career Researcher Spotlight – Chloe Hinchliffe

We are launching a new segment to present the work of Early Career Researchers in IDEA-FAST.  In this first instalment, we talk to Chloe Hinchliffe, a  postdoctoral researcher in the Brain and Movement (BAM) Research Group at the Translational and Clinical Research Institute of Newcastle University.   Chloe received her integrated master’s degree in Medical Engineering (MEng) at the […]

New Paper Published on Fatigue and Sleep Assessment through Digital Wearables

Our newly published research presents results on using wearable sensing technology to assess fatigue and sleep in patients with chronic diseases. The article provides clinicians with insights on monitoring patients in the natural everyday settings of a patient’s daily life. In the future, wearable sensors could capture the effect the disease has on the patient’s […]

Data Standards in IDEA-FAST

One of the main goals of the IDEA-FAST project is to identify novel digital measures for fatigue and sleep disturbances. To achieve this goal, a large amount of data, including clinical data (e.g., demographic data of the recruited patients) and device data (e.g., data collected by sensors and wearable devices for monitoring fatigue, sleep and […]

Sleepless society – The socioeconomic burden of sleep disturbances

“Being up with the lark”, “the early bird catches the worm”, or “being a night owl” – these phrases are all familiar. A work-focused and digitally connected culture produces the notion of constant availability and the pressure of maximizing time, even if this comes at the expense of our sleep.   Looking at sleep patterns, there is a trend towards shorter […]