Remote digital cognitive assessment for aging and dementia using the Oxford Cognitive Testing Portal OCTAL

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Global increase in dementia cases requires accessible cognitive assessment tools.
• Existing assessments may lack scalability, cross-cultural applicability, or remote access capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Oxford Cognitive Testing Portal (OCTAL), a novel remote, browser-based platform for cognitive assessment.
• To validate OCTAL's cross-cultural applicability, lifespan sensitivity, clinical utility, and reliability.

Main Methods:

• Developed OCTAL, a remote, browser-based platform assessing memory, attention, visuospatial, and executive functions.
• Conducted four validation studies (N=1664) including cross-cultural comparisons, lifespan analyses, and a memory clinic cohort (N=194).
• Assessed test-retest reliability (N=118) and diagnostic accuracy using Area Under the Curve (AUC).

Main Results:

• OCTAL demonstrated equivalent performance in English- and Chinese-speaking adults and mapped age-related cognitive trajectories.
• A 5-minute OCTAL screen accurately distinguished Alzheimer's disease dementia (AUC=0.92), comparable to standard tests.
• A 20-minute OCTAL subset showed superior discrimination (AUC=0.97) with high test-retest reliability (ICC≥0.79).

Conclusions:

• OCTAL provides a scalable, reliable, and evolvable solution for remote cognitive assessment in research and clinical settings.
• Its open, modular architecture supports sustainability and adaptation for future cognitive research and screening needs.
• OCTAL facilitates large-scale cognitive research and dementia screening through accessible remote testing.