Cognitive Assessments - AAIC Neuroscience Next Manchester скачать в хорошем качестве

Cognitive Assessments - AAIC Neuroscience Next Manchester

At AAIC Neuroscience Next Manchester, held on 26 February 2026, this session examined how cognitive testing remains central to dementia research while rapidly evolving alongside digital and biological biomarkers. Chaired by Dr Rhian Convery from University College London and Viktorija Smith from the University of Cambridge, the session brought together researchers working on remote testing, gene specific composites, digital metrics and biomarker integration. Senior Plenary Professor Masud Husain Professor Masud Husain argued that while fluid biomarkers have advanced rapidly, cognition remains essential because it reflects what pathology means for real world function. He highlighted the need for scalable, sensitive digital cognitive tools that can detect subtle change years before diagnosis. Traditional in person pen and paper tests are labour intensive and difficult to scale. Remote digital platforms allow high throughput analysis, more frequent testing and potentially greater sensitivity. Using the Oxford Cognitive Testing Portal, he showed that selected digital tasks can discriminate cognitive impairment with strong sensitivity and specificity. Importantly, certain cognitive measures outperformed plasma markers in distinguishing cognitively impaired from unimpaired individuals, although biomarkers remain necessary to identify underlying pathology. He also introduced the idea of high frequency testing enabling “N of one” trial designs, where individual trajectories rather than group averages determine treatment response. ECR Plenary Dr Chloe Fawns Ritchie Dr Chloe Fawns Ritchie examined how device type influences remotely collected cognitive data in over 125,000 UK Biobank participants. Participants completing tasks with a mouse generally performed better than those using touchscreens, particularly on speed based tasks such as Trail Making and Symbol Digit. While the overall structure of general cognitive ability was consistent across devices, systematic score differences suggest that device related effects can bias results. The findings highlight an important methodological message: large scale remote cognitive testing requires careful documentation of device use and consideration of potential motor and environmental influences. Lightning Talks Dr Laura Stankeviciute – Plasma p tau217 and digital cognition In the Swedish REAL AD population cohort, higher plasma p tau217 levels were associated with poorer remote digital memory performance in cognitively unimpaired individuals aged 65. The results support combining blood biomarkers with remote testing for population scale screening. Toya Pauwels Romero – Gene specific composites in familial FTD The GENFI Cog composite captured gene specific cognitive decline across C9orf72, progranulin and MAPT mutation carriers. Early differences were detectable even in asymptomatic C9 carriers, suggesting value for stratification and trial design. Dr Kirsty Lu – Preclinical biomarkers in the 1946 Birth Cohort In Insight 46, subtle memory decline associated with amyloid pathology became more apparent between ages 70 and 77. Digital pen metrics, including timing and pause measures, may offer enhanced sensitivity to early change. Dr Alexander Kaula – Reaction time metrics in paired associates learning Novel reaction time measures derived from a traditionally accuracy based task showed stronger associations with plasma p tau217 than standard outcomes, suggesting that timing metrics may capture early disease burden missed by accuracy scores alone. Key Themes Cognition remains the bridge between biology and lived experience. Digital and remote testing allow scalable, high frequency measurement. Device and motor effects must be carefully considered in remote data. Reaction time and timing metrics may reveal earlier change than accuracy alone. Combining plasma biomarkers with digital cognition may enable earlier identification at scale. At AAIC Neuroscience Next Manchester, this session reinforced that while biomarkers are reshaping dementia research, cognitive assessment remains central, not only as an outcome measure, but as the clearest expression of what disease means for people’s everyday lives. ‪@alzassociation‬ #aaicneuro Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:07 Professor Masud Husain 00:19:00 Dr Chloe Fawns Ritchie 00:31:42 Dr Laura Stankeviciute 00:38:00 Toya Pauwels Romero 00:41:30 Dr Kirsty Lu 00:45:30 Dr Alexander Kaula 00:50:42 Q&A Disclaimer This content is provided and delivered by Dementia Researcher. It sits outside the Alzheimer’s Association programme, and the Alzheimer’s Association has no involvement in its delivery or sharing. For any questions about this content, please email dementiaresearcher@ucl.ac.uk .