Health-Related Indicators Measured Using Earable Devices: Systematic Review
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of observational, technical, and sensor-development studies (not randomized trials)
OpenAlex W4306248069 · doi:10.2196/36696
What was done
A systematic review of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted to identify studies published between 2015 and 2020 evaluating earable Internet of Things health-monitoring devices. Across 51 included studies, researchers extracted data on target health outcomes, biomarkers, sensor types, sensor anatomical positions, and disease prevention stages.
What was found
Across the 51 included studies, the most common target health outcomes were diet-related outcomes (9/51, 18%), brain status (7/51, 14%), cardiovascular disease (5/51, 10%), and central nervous system disease (5/51, 10%). The most frequent biomarkers assessed were electroencephalography (11/51, 22%), body movements (6/51, 12%), and body temperature (5/51, 10%). Electrical sensors were the most common modality (19/51, 37%), and the ear canal was the predominant sensor placement site (26/51, 51%). Most studies focused on secondary prevention (35/51, 69%), compared with primary (12/51, 24%) and tertiary prevention (4/51, 8%).
Why it matters
This review outlines the early technological landscape of ear-based wearable sensing, showing that ear canal electrical sensors are currently the most utilized approach for tracking neurological, dietary, and cardiovascular indicators.
Limits
The review only reports publication frequency counts and does not evaluate sensor accuracy, clinical efficacy, test-retest reliability, or user tolerability. Total human participant sample sizes, study quality, and risk of bias across the included literature are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports A sensor placed in the ear concha can measure heart rate, pulse, blood oxygen levels, electrooculogram (EOG) eye movement signatures, and EEG signatures related to attention.