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Remote, self-administered, smartphone cognitive testing in a registry-based cohort: Feasibility, reliability, and
Sreya Dhanam1, Mark Sanderson-Cimino1, Jack Carson Taylor1
1Department of Neurology, Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Summary
Smartphone cognitive tests are feasible, reliable, and valid for remote Alzheimer's disease and related dementias assessments. These digital tools show promise for improving access to cognitive evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Digital health
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Remote cognitive testing via smartphones can enhance access to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias assessments.
- Evaluating unsupervised smartphone-based cognitive tests is crucial for understanding their potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility, reliability, and validity of unsupervised smartphone-based cognitive tests.
- To determine if remote digital assessments are suitable for a general adult population.
Main Methods:
- 1815 adults (18-92 years) from the UCSF Brain Health Registry completed three unsupervised smartphone cognitive tests within two weeks.
- Test-retest reliability was measured using correlations between sessions.
- Linear regression analyzed associations between smartphone tasks, demographics, cognitive concerns, and web-based Cogstate performance.
Main Results:
- High adherence (82.2%) and favorable usability were observed.
- Smartphone tests demonstrated moderate to strong test-retest reliability (ρ's = 0.61–0.85).
- Lower scores correlated with older age, lower education, cognitive concerns, and poorer Cogstate performance.
Conclusions:
- Remote digital cognitive assessments are feasible, reliable, and valid in adults without cognitive impairment.
- Smartphone-based testing offers a promising avenue for accessible cognitive evaluations.
