New Ear-Worn Technology Could Track Cognitive Activity

Engineers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have produced an ear-worn device that analyses brain activity through sweat production.  

The earpiece could be used to keep track of wellbeing over a prolonged period as well as detect cognitive abnormalities.  

Current tools to detect cognitive activity include EEG headgear or a blood lactate meter – both offer comparable results to the earbud. However, the ear-tech is non-intrusive, compact and can connect to multiple handheld devices.  

The only setback is that the current design requires sweat from physical activity to obtain results. However, plans are in place to adapt the model in the future so that exercise is not a necessity.  

Gert Cauwenberghs, Leading experimentalist stated, “Being able to measure the dynamics of both brain cognitive activity and body metabolic state in one in-ear integrated device that doesn’t intrude on the comfort and mobility of the user opens up tremendous opportunities for advancing health and wellness of people of all ages, anytime and anywhere,” 

Cauwenberghs added, “Auditory neurofeedback coupling the measured brain signals with sound played by the device in the ear may enable potentially far-reaching new therapeutic advances for active remediation of debilitating neurological disorders such as tinnitus,” 

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