Smartphone-based detection of subtle memory decline in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

The slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses a challenge for the quantification of early disease-driven cognitive decline. Here, we show that frequently administered remote and unsupervised digital cognitive assessments can detect differences in cognitive decline within 30 weeks in early AD. The sample comprised 202 individuals (52–85 years old) recruited from longitudinal observational studies, who were cognitively unimpaired (CU, n = 152) or had a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 50). Participants self-administered remote tasks testing memory precision for objects and scenes, associative memory, and familiarity-dependent memory. The MCI group showed greater decline than the CU group in the familiarity-dependent task, while stratifying the MCI group by beta-amyloid (Aβ) status (n = 21 Aβ−; n = 24 Aβ+) revealed greater change in memory precision for objects and familiarity-dependent memory in the MCI Aβ+ group. A 30-week change in the remote familiarity-dependent task was correlated with a multi-year change in annual in-person neuropsychological assessments. In conclusion, frequent remote cognitive testing is a promising tool to feasibly capture and monitor subtle and short-term cognitive decline.

Metadata

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Polk, S.E. Clark, L.R. Basche, K. Kleineidam, L. Glanz, W. Butryn, M. Perneczky, R. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1981-7435 Buerger, K. Fliessbach, K. Laske, C. Spottke, A. Schneider, A. Wiltfang, J. Teipel, S. Bartels, C. Rostamzadeh, A. Janowitz, D. Rauchmann, B.-S. Kilimann, I. Sodenkamp, S. Coenjaerts, M. Brosseron, F. Wagner, M. Frommann, I. Stark, M. Schmid, M. Schott, B.H. Johnson, S.C. Jessen, F. Düzel, E. Berron, D.
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© The Author(s) 2026. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Keywords:	Biological and endogenous factors; Good Health and Well Being; Neurosciences; Prevention; Alzheimer's Disease including Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD); Dementia; Alzheimer's Disease; Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ADRD); Behavioral and Social Science; Cerebrovascular; Clinical Research; Mental Health; Basic Behavioral and Social Science; Neurodegenerative; Vascular Cognitive Impairment/Dementia; Brain Disorders; Acquired Cognitive Impairment; 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors; Neurological; Mental health; Good Health and Well Being
Dates:	Accepted: 30 April 2026 Published (online): 10 June 2026 Published: 10 June 2026
Institution:	The University of Sheffield
Academic Units:	The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Medicine and Population Health
Date Deposited:	23 Sep 2026 15:25
Last Modified:	23 Sep 2026 15:25
Status:	Published
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Refereed:	Yes
Identification Number:	10.1038/s41746-026-02731-1
Related URLs:	PubMed URL
Sustainable Development Goals:
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:245846

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Smartphone-based detection of subtle memory decline in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease

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