Key result
Combined pTau181 and cognitive testing perfectly discriminates Alzheimer's disease from controls with an AUC of 1.
Why the study?
Alzheimer disease research lacks scalable, remote cognitive testing platforms validated against plasma biomarkers.
Does a web-based digital cognitive testing platform correlate with plasma biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer's disease?
Cross-Sectional (n=355)
No
Does a web-based digital cognitive testing platform correlate with plasma biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer's disease?
Effect estimate: AUC 1
A novel web-based digital cognitive testing platform effectively measures cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease and correlates strongly with plasma biomarkers like pTau181.
Does not support diagnostic use of this model; leaves open whether digital cognitive tests add value to plasma biomarkers in prospective Alzheimer's cohorts.
Introduction A major limitation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research is the lack of the ability to measure cognitive performance at scale - robustly, remotely, and frequently. Currently, there are no established online digital platforms validated against plasma biomarkers of AD. Methods We used a novel web-based platform that assessed different cognitive functions in AD patients (N=46) and elderly controls (N=53) who were also evaluated for plasma biomarkers (amyloid β42/40 ratio, pTau181, GFAP, NfL). Their cognitive performance was compared to a second, larger group of elderly controls (N=352). Results Patients with AD were significantly impaired across all digital cognitive tests, with performance correlating with plasma biomarker levels, particularly pTau181. The combination of pTau181 and the single best-performing digital test achieved high accuracy in group classification. Discussion These findings show how online testing can now be deployed in patients with AD to measure cognitive function effectively and related to blood biomarkers of the disease.
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Toniolo et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Alzheimer's disease (n=355). Digital cognitive tests and plasma biomarkers (pTau181, GFAP, NfL, Aβ42/40) vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Group classification (Alzheimer's disease vs healthy controls) (AUC 1). A combined model of plasma pTau181, recall on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, and Immediate Object Accuracy perfectly discriminated Alzheimer's disease patients from healthy controls with an AUC of 1.
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