Phenotyping Cognitive Impairment using Graphomotor and Latency Features in Digital Clock Drawing Test.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a common tool for screening cognitive impairment.
• The digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) enhances this by capturing granular performance data using digital pen sensors.
• Previous research focused on visual aspects, overlooking digital pen's latency and graphomotor features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sociodemographic factors, cognitive impairment, and dCDT latency and graphomotor features.
• To explore how clusters of dCDT features correlate with cognitive reserve and impairment diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized accelerometer and pressure sensor data from a digital pen during the dCDT.
• Analyzed feature clusters derived from dCDT performance.
• Compared these clusters against demographic data (age, gender, education) and cognitive assessments (Mini-Mental State Exam scores, diagnoses).

Main Results:

• dCDT feature clusters showed no significant differences based on age or gender.
• Significant differences were observed in clusters related to education level, Mini-Mental State Exam scores, and cognitive impairment diagnoses.
• This indicates that digital pen performance metrics contain relevant clinical information.

Conclusions:

• Features extracted from digital clock drawings provide valuable insights beyond visual analysis.
• dCDT performance metrics are associated with cognitive reserve and can aid in identifying cognitive impairments.
• Digital pen technology offers a promising avenue for detailed cognitive assessment.