Memory test at home: A simple app helps detect Alzheimer's disease early

Home memory test
A simple application that helps detect Alzheimer's disease early

April 4, 2024, 3:55 p.m

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A study confirms that a smartphone app can be used to detect possible signs of Alzheimer's disease with high accuracy, even without medical assistance. The corresponding application is already submitted in doctors' offices.

Researchers in The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), in cooperation with Magdeburg neotiv, has developed an easy-to-use application It can detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which may indicate Alzheimer's disease. German American Stady He confirms that this works with high precision.

It is not new that memory tests are being used to detect Alzheimer's disease early. The examined subjects have to solve standardized tasks in writing or conversationally: for example, remembering and repeating words, spontaneously naming as many terms as possible on a given topic or drawing geometric shapes according to instructions. However, these tests are generally performed under the supervision of a medical professional, and cannot be performed alone, for example at home.

Early diagnosis is important

But there are advantages to being able to conduct such tests independently without supervision, says neuroscientist Emrah Dozel. It would “help detect clinically relevant memory disorders in the early stages and record disease progression more closely than is possible today. In light of recent advances in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and new treatment options, early diagnosis has become increasingly important.” Dozell is also Nutiv's “chief medical officer.”

“Huge potential”

“This technology has tremendous potential to provide doctors with information that cannot be obtained from visiting a patient in the clinic,” says David Perron. He is a research group leader at DZNE and co-founder of neotiv.

The usefulness of the application was confirmed by a study of 199 women and men in the USA and Germany conducted by researchers from DZNE and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Participants included healthy people and people with mild cognitive impairment. Others experienced memory problems subjectively but not measurably.

Scientists implemented established diagnostic procedures and compared them with test results conducted independently by test subjects using the neotiv app installed on their smartphones or tablets. Basically, the tests are about remembering images or recognizing the differences between the images the app displays.

Simple tests

For example, the app displays a room containing different items. In the next step, test subjects are asked to remember objects and their location in space. They then have to set the objects in the positions displayed on the touch screen.

“The test with the neotiv app is interactive and includes three types of memory tasks,” explains Dozell. “This addresses different areas of the brain that can be affected at different stages of Alzheimer's disease. There are many years of research behind this.”

On the one hand, the study showed that the application is uncomplicated and easy to use. Most participants were able to complete the digital tasks independently, says Lindsey Clark of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They also expressed their satisfaction with the tasks and the digital platform.

The app is proving its usefulness

Above all, the study confirmed that the app can be used to assess memory problems meaningfully, says Imrah Dozel. “Do the digital test results indicate that MCI Having a typical memory impairment, this paves the way for further clinical investigations. If your test results indicate that memory performance is within the normal range for your age, you can give full consent at this time.”

The application of the test will then be tested in larger study groups and over longer periods of time. “Information about how quickly memory declines over time is important to doctors and patients,” says David Perron. “It is also relevant to clinical trials where new treatments aim to slow the rate of cognitive decline.”