Assessment of memory recognition using a smartphone-based test system: A pilot study

Elucidation of the detailed nature of age-related memory decline requires analysis of memory performance in large populations of various ages. To promote large-scale studies, we developed a smartphone-based self-test for memory recognition. We examined whether this test could detect age-related memory decline and the effects of aerobic exercise on memory.

Seventy-eight younger and 42 older participants were randomly divided into active and passive groups. Both groups took a memory recognition test (consisting of 2 sessions separated by a 48-hour interval) conducted on smartphones. The participants answered the positive and negative affect schedule questionnaire at the beginning and end of each session. In the first session, the participants performed cognitive tasks on 90 photographs displayed on a smartphone screen. Immediately after the cognitive tasks, the active group performed a bout of light aerobic exercise for 10 minutes, while the passive group remained calm for 10 minutes. In the second session, the participants were tested on the recognition of 90 previously observed photographs and 90 distractor photographs.

Passive older participants had ~40% to ~50% lower recognition scores (RSs) than passive younger participants did. Moreover, the aerobic exercise used in this study improved the RSs of active younger participants by up to ~40% compared with those of passive younger participants, while such an improvement was not observed in older participants. The RS did not depend on the affect levels evaluated using positive and negative affect schedule questionnaire.

These results demonstrated that the smartphone-based test could detect age-related decline and could promote behavior modification that may lead to memory enhancement, as reported in previous studies using conventional laboratory tests. The results of the smartphone-based test were not influenced by the subjects affect. This indicates the possibility of large-scale memory studies and healthcare for memory performance by using personal mobile devices.