Digital maze test reveals cognitive performance patterns associated with amyloid-β and tau

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Biomarker Research

Background:

• Digital cognitive tools offer sensitive measures of subtle cognitive processes.
• Early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is crucial for timely intervention.
• Traditional cognitive tests may not capture early AD-related changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a digital maze test's association with AD biomarkers (amyloid-β and tau).
• To assess the utility of digital maze features in a cognitively unimpaired sample at risk for AD.

Main Methods:

• 221 participants completed a digital maze test and neuropsychological battery.
• Cortical amyloid-β and tau burden were measured using PET imaging (PiB and [¹⁸F]Flortaucipir).
• Principal component analysis and regression models identified associations between maze features and biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Maze performance comprised distinct speed, path following, and impulsivity/planning components.
• Longer duration, greater pen-off-page time, and higher pen stroke count correlated with higher amyloid burden (PiB).
• Higher pen stroke count and deviation from the correct path correlated with higher tau burden ([¹⁸F]Flortaucipir).
• Digital maze features predicted amyloid biomarkers independently of traditional executive function tests.

Conclusions:

• Digitally captured maze features reveal cognitive changes linked to AD pathology.
• This digital tool provides unique insights into amyloid and tau-related cognitive changes.
• The digital maze test is a time-efficient and sensitive measure for early AD detection.