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The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
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Associations between smartphone keystroke dynamics and cognition in MS.
Michelle H Chen1,2, Alex Leow3, Mindy K Ross3
1Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Digital Health
|December 12, 2022
Summary
Smartphone typing speed and variability can reflect cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Faster typing correlates with better cognitive performance and fewer symptoms, suggesting keystroke dynamics as a remote monitoring tool for MS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Digital Health
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting cognitive functions.
- Assessing cognitive changes in MS often relies on traditional, time-intensive neuropsychological tests.
- Objective, real-world measures of cognitive functioning are needed for effective MS management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between smartphone keystroke dynamics and cognitive functioning in individuals with MS.
- To explore the potential of using typing patterns as an unobtrusive digital biomarker for cognitive health in MS.
Main Methods:
- Sixteen individuals with MS and 10 healthy controls (HCs) underwent six weeks of remote smartphone keystroke data collection.
- Participants completed baseline neuropsychological assessments and symptom ratings (fatigue, depression, anxiety).
- Keystroke dynamics, including typing speed and variability, were analyzed in relation to cognitive test performance.
Main Results:
- Individuals with MS exhibited slower and more variable typing speeds compared to HCs.
- Faster typing speed was significantly associated with better performance in processing speed, attention, and executive functions.
- Typing speed also correlated with reduced fatigue and anxiety symptoms, and increased use of backspace/autocorrect in those with better cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- Keystroke dynamics, particularly typing speed, show promise as a sensitive indicator of cognitive functioning in individuals with MS.
- These digital biomarkers may facilitate unobtrusive, remote monitoring of cognitive status, aiding in relapse detection and treatment evaluation.
- Further research can leverage keystroke dynamics for tracking disability progression and personalizing MS care.
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