title: Mobile technologies in the early detection of cognitive decline.
abstract: The identification of biological and pathophysiological processes implicated in different forms of dementia is itself dependent on reliable descriptions of cognitive performance and capacities. However, traditional instruments are often unable to detect subtle declines in cognitive functions due to natural variation at the time of testing. Mobile technologies permit the repeated assessment of cognitive functions and may thereby provide more reliable descriptions of early cognitive difficulties that are inaccessible to clinic or hospital-based instruments. This assessment strategy is also able to characterize in real-time the dynamic associations between cognitive performance and specific daily life behaviors or activities. In a cohort of elderly rural residents, 60 individuals were administered neuropsychological and neuroimaging exams as well as a one-week period of electronic ambulatory monitoring of behavior, semantic memory performance, and daily life experiences. Whereas imaging markers were unrelated to traditional neuropsychological test scores, they were significantly associated with mobile assessments of semantic memory performance. Moreover, certain daily life activities such as reading or completing crossword puzzles were associated with increases in semantic memory performance over the subsequent hours of the same day. The revolution in mobile technologies provides unprecedented opportunities to overcome the barriers of time and context that characterize traditional hospital and clinical-based assessments. The combination of both novel and traditional methods should provide the best opportunity for identifying the earliest risk factors and biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; EPHE, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Husky
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; EPHE, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Gwénaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catheline
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; EPHE, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Bixente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dilharreguy
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amieva
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pérès
authors.affiliation: CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foubert-Samier
authors.affiliation: CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Univ. Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France; INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dartigues
authors.affiliation: Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France; EPHE, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swendsen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003710:Demography; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size; D012660:Semantics; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*