Memorie digitali: il ruolo delle nuove tecnologie nella gestione dell’Alzheimer

The increase in life expectancy is one of the great changes that characterize contemporary society. Alzheimer’s is one of the pathologies of the future, to which sociology should pay attention for three reasons: it’s a disease with uncertain sociological trajectories, it changes the lives of patient and caregivers, and the pharmacological treatment is only palliative. In these spaces of uncertainty, the market for digital tools has grown. Thus, the present research attempts to answer two questions: what role do new technologies play in supporting Alzheimer’s patients? What is the role of the caregiver in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, and how can it be facilitated by technologies? To answer these questions, the AppAnnie database was consulted to get an overview of the existing apps created for the management of Alzheimer’s. Later, the two initiatives were selected: from the results emerges that the digital tools dedicated to patients are different from those dedicated to caregivers.