Enhancing Patient Outcomes in ADRD

The Digital Medicine Society’s (DiMe) Core Digital Measures of ADRD conceptual model provides a patient-centred framework for measuring domains essential to daily function and wellbeing in ADRD. Cambridge Cognition are proud to contribute to this initiative by offering validated tools for assessing visuospatial memory and expressive communication.

Why Core Digital Measures are Vital

ADRD affects over 47 million people globally, with numbers projected to double every 20 years. These diseases profoundly impact cognitive and behavioural functions, yet the traditional focus in research often misses aspects critical to patients’ quality of life. DiMe’s conceptual model aims to bridge this gap by highlighting four key domains for measurement:

• Visuospatial Memory: This encompasses the ability to recall and navigate spatial environments, essential for tasks like finding objects or navigating familiar spaces. Cambridge Cognition’s Paired Associates Learning (PAL) test is a well-validated digital tool for assessing visuospatial memory.
• Expressive Communication: Speech fluency and word retrieval are critical for being able to express oneself and communicate effectively. Cambridge Cognition’s voice-based assessments (Winterlight and Neurovocalix) analyse speech patterns to offer insights into real-life communication challenges.
• Sleep Disruption: Sleep quality profoundly affects physical and mental health. Actigraphy provides reliable, non-invasive methods to monitor sleep patterns, including latency and nighttime disturbances.
• Non-Sedentary Behaviour: Regular activity is crucial for physical and cognitive health. Actigraphy can also track patients’ time spent in active versus sedentary states, offering insights into daily routines.

These measures were selected based on feedback from the global ADRD community to reflect what truly matters to patients and their care partners, such as independence, interaction, and overall well-being.

Integrating Core Measures into Clinical Research

The Core Digital Measures of ADRD conceptual model offers practical guidance for implementing these metrics into research protocols. The framework supports standardised and high-resolution data collection, which enhances the comparability of studies and facilitates real-time insights. By adopting these measures, researchers can prioritise the aspects of ADRD most impactful to patients, driving innovation and improving treatment outcomes.

Driving Innovation at Cambridge Cognition

Leveraging our expertise to develop tools that align with the Core Digital Measures of ADRD, enabling precise, scalable, and meaningful data collection, our solutions are designed for versatility, providing robust measurement capabilities both remotely and in clinical settings. Key features include support for tablet and mobile devices, availability in multiple languages, and adaptability to diverse patient needs. These attributes ensure seamless integration into clinical trials and real-world studies.

• Paired Associates Learning Test (PAL): An industry recognised digital cognitive test for visuospatial memory, the PAL asks participants to remember the locations of hidden objects on a screen. This task assesses memory precision and spatial reasoning, core abilities often impacted in ADRD. The PAL test can be delivered remotely or in clinic, making it ideal for decentralized trials.
• Voice-Based Assessment Tools: These tools evaluate speech fluency, word-finding abilities, and overall expressive communication. Patients engage in tasks such as picture description or journaling, which simulate real-life scenarios. Advanced linguistic analysis captures nuances in speech patterns, providing insights into changes over time. The assessments are designed for use on mobile and tablet platforms, ensuring accessibility for diverse populations.
• Flexible Deployment: Both PAL and voice-based tools are optimized for global reach. They support testing in multiple languages and can accommodate cultural variations in communication and cognitive norms. This inclusivity ensures accurate data across international studies.
• Patient-Centred Design: Our tools emphasize ease of use, with intuitive interfaces tailored for individuals with cognitive challenges. By minimising patient burden, we enhance engagement and the reliability of collected data.

Through these innovative assessments, we enable researchers to measure visuospatial memory and expressive communication with high precision, directly addressing the domains advocated by DiMe. The combination of technical flexibility and rigorous validation ensures that outcomes are meaningful and actionable for both patients and care partners.

Looking Ahead: Amplifying the Patient Voice

The introduction of DiMe’s Core Digital Measures of ADRD conceptual model marks a pivotal moment in clinical research. By focusing on domains that matter most to patients, we can move closer to treatments that improve daily life. Cambridge Cognition and Winterlight Labs remain committed to advancing this mission through innovative digital tools and patient-centred research.

For more information about how you can apply the Core Digital Measures of ADRD conceptual model to your projects, get in touch with us at enquiries@camcog.com or complete the form below.