Project Description:

We are building a wearable that keeps brains healthy by enhancing people’s slow-wave sleep. Between the ages of twenty and fifty, individuals’ slow-wave sleep decreases by 80%. This loss is tied to many age-associated cognitive effects including less mental sharpness, a weaker memory, and an increase in plaques associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. We are adapting a neural stimulation technique that enhances slow-wave sleep to the unique needs of older adults and packaging this technology in a comfortable and easy-to-use headband.

Project Photo:

Enhancing Brain Waves

Student Team Members

• Joshua Blair
• Summer Duffy
• Christina Hummel
• Janis Iourovitski
• Spencer Shumway

Course Faculty

Project Mentors, Sponsors, and Partners

• Youseph Yazdi, PhD
• Soumyadipta Acharya, MD, MSE, PhD
• Peter Abadir, MD
• Bryan Hansen, PhD, MSN, RN, APRN-CNS, ACNS-BC
• Adam P. Spira, PhD
• Mark Wu, MD, PhD
• Nicholas Salvatore Reed, AuD
• William G. Coon, PhD