Relationship Between Within-Session Digital Motor Skill Acquisition and Alzheimer Disease Risk Factors Among the...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Digital Health
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• In-lab motor skill acquisition is sensitive to Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers.
• Remote, unsupervised, web-based skill tasks offer scalable screening potential for AD risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a web-based motor skill game, "Super G", for its sensitivity to AD risk factors.
• To assess the game's utility in identifying individuals at risk for AD.

Main Methods:

• 662 MindCrowd participants (≥45 years, APOE ε4 status recorded) were invited to play the remote, unsupervised "Super G" game.
• Linear and logistic regression analyzed relationships between AD risk factors (age, sex, APOE ε4, verbal learning) and Super G performance metrics.

Main Results:

• Super G performance correlated significantly with AD risk factors in 54 participants.
• Slower response time linked to APOE ε4 carrier status; greater time in target (TinT) linked to males.
• Lower TinT associated with older age; sex-specific interactions observed with verbal learning.

Conclusions:

• The "Super G" web-based game demonstrates potential as a skill-based digital biomarker for large-scale AD risk screening.
• This approach offers a resource-efficient method for identifying individuals at risk for Alzheimer disease.