Feasibility and acceptability of remote smartphone cognitive testing in frontotemporal dementia research

Jack Carson Taylor, Hilary W Heuer, Annie L Clark, Amy B Wise, Masood Manoochehri, Leah Forsberg, Carly Mester, Meghana Rao, Daniell Brushaber, Joel Kramer, Ariane E Welch, John Kornak, Walter Kremers, Brian Appleby, Bradford C Dickerson, Kimiko Domoto-Reilly, Julie A Fields, Nupur Ghoshal, Neill Graff-Radford, Murray GrossmanMatthew Gh Hall, Edward D Huey, David Irwin, Maria I Lapid, Irene Litvan, Ian R Mackenzie, Joseph C Masdeu, Mario F Mendez, Naomi Nevler, Chiadi U Onyike, Belen Pascual, Peter Pressman, Katherine P Rankin, Buddhika Ratnasiri, Julio C Rojas, Maria Carmela Tartaglia, Bonnie Wong, Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini, Bradley F Boeve, Howard J Rosen, Adam L Boxer, Adam M Staffaroni

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Remote smartphone assessments of cognition, speech/language, and motor functioning in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) could enable decentralized clinical trials and improve access to research. We studied the feasibility and acceptability of remote smartphone data collection in FTD research using the ALLFTD Mobile App (ALLFTD-mApp).

METHODS: A diagnostically mixed sample of 214 participants with FTD or from familial FTD kindreds (asymptomatic: CDR®+NACC-FTLD = 0 [ N = 101]; prodromal: 0.5 [ N = 49]; symptomatic ≥1 [ N = 51]; not measured [ N = 13]) were asked to complete ALLFTD-mApp tests on their smartphone three times within 12 days. They completed smartphone familiarity and participation experience surveys.

RESULTS: It was feasible for participants to complete the ALLFTD-mApp on their own smartphones. Participants reported high smartphone familiarity, completed ∼ 70% of tasks, and considered the time commitment acceptable (98% of respondents). Greater disease severity was associated with poorer performance across several tests.

DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that the ALLFTD-mApp study protocol is feasible and acceptable for remote FTD research.

HIGHLIGHTS: The ALLFTD Mobile App is a smartphone-based platform for remote, self-administered data collection.The ALLFTD Mobile App consists of a comprehensive battery of surveys and tests of executive functioning, memory, speech and language, and motor abilities.Remote digital data collection using the ALLFTD Mobile App was feasible in a multicenter research consortium that studies FTD. Data was collected in healthy controls and participants with a range of diagnoses, particularly FTD spectrum disorders.Remote digital data collection was well accepted by participants with a variety of diagnoses.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)e12423
JournalAlzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring
Volume15
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

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