New study shows Alzheimer’s may be detectable in just minutes

Abstract: New research from a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reveals that “subtle response-time biomarkers – captured in minutes via digital assessments – can flag Alzheimer’s and dementia risk far earlier than traditional methods. According to a release, findings demonstrate how a seven-minute speech-based digital cognitive assessment from Linus Health captures quantifiable data on neurodegenerative disease risk based on patients’ process of answering questions and test prompts.

A recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease highlights how efficiently digital assessments can uncover the earliest signs of cognitive impairment and likely even years before traditional testing methods or noticeable symptoms emerge.

Its lead authors are Dr. David Libon, a professor at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at Rowan University, and Dr. Rod Swenson, PhD, clinical professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Both researchers are advisors to Linus Health, a Boson-based company that says it is “revolutionizing brain health with science-driven digital solutions.”

“It is commonly understood that early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia will lead to better and more effective intervention and treatment,” the two researchers state in the study. “Yet, at the current time, in the U.S and globally, the care pathways for MCI and dementia is the management of these conditions rather than early identification or mitigation.”

Libon and Swenson point out that in 2022, “four per cent of adults aged 65 and older in America report they have received a dementia diagnosis. Equally alarming, is that many individuals in the United States who likely meet criteria for a diagnosis for MCI or dementia, have never been properly assessed. Clearly, health systems are struggling to meet these demands, particularly in neuro-specialty care areas.”

In the study they write that “recent research suggests that digital neuropsychological assessment technology may be the platform that can realize the goals of precision neurocognition, i.e., the early detection of neurocognitive difficulties that are prognostic for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.

“Past research associating 100 per cent correct or statistically within normal limits responding using neuropsychological tests with time-based parameters obtained while participants undergo assessment is reviewed.”

According to a release, their findings demonstrate how a seven-minute speech-based digital cognitive assessment from Linus Health captures quantifiable data on neurodegenerative disease risk based on patients’ process of answering questions and test prompts.

In the peer-reviewed article, Libon and Swenson introduce a “series of novel digital biomarkers based on latency – the pauses and reaction times between actions  –when responding to questions or test prompts. They describe how subtle changes in the time required to respond, even when answers are 100 per cent correct, can be interpreted as biomarkers for identifying the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.”

Libon said that “as our review demonstrates, just because an individual answers a question on a digital assessment 100 per cent correctly does not mean a zero per cent risk of cognitive impairment.

“We have shown here that the time it takes to correctly respond or recruit the necessary brain regions or strategies for efficient correct responding likely provides rich information regarding the probability of the eventual emergence of serious cognitive decline.”

David Bates, co-founder and CEO of Linus Health said that “as the population ages and the need for timely cognitive impairment detection grows more urgent, precision neurocognition offers a transformative path forward.

“By combining high-resolution digital measurement with sophisticated, AI-powered data analysis, the Linus Health platform can help clinicians during routine office visits flag precise indicators of neurodegenerative conditions earlier to improve patients’ clinical outcomes and their quality of life.”