Abstract:
This webinar will examine cognitive assessment methods in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) research, featuring insights from neuropsychology, geriatric psychiatry, and digital health technology. Panelists will highlight the challenges of accurate screening across diverse populations and settings, from community-based studies to clinical trials. Presentations will explore traditional tools like the MoCA and CDR alongside emerging digital approaches using speech AI, wearable sensors, and web-based platforms. Discussions will emphasize demographic influences, functional measures, and resource considerations in selecting appropriate screening strategies. Case studies will illustrate lessons learned in real-world pilot projects, including practice effects, scalability barriers, and the integration of cognitive and functional assessments.
Attendees will gain a nuanced understanding of current and future cognitive screening tools and how to apply them effectively in research and clinical contexts.
About the Speakers:
- Kathryn V. Papp, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School; Clinical Neuropsychologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Dr. Papp’s clinical practice is focused on assessment of memory disorders. Her primary research interest is in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using sensitive semantic and associative memory tests as well as computerized measures and digital technologies to identify and track older adults at risk for cognitive decline. She is additionally interested in modifiable lifestyle factors which may mitigate cognitive decline in older adults. At MassAITC, Dr. Papp is a member of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementia’s (AD/ADRD) pilot core where she mentors pilot teams on appropriate cognitive assessment tools for screening of participatory research participants. Dr. Papp is Director of Neuropsychology for the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
- Michael Busa, PhD, Director of the Center for Human Health and Performance at the Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Adjunct faculty in Kinesiology at UMass Amherst
- Michael joined IALS as the founding director of the Center for Human Health & Performance having completed two postdoctoral fellowships – one in biomechanics and the other in physical activity monitoring. Michael has wide ranging research experience spanning many domains including: biomechanics, motor control, exercise physiology, and physical activity and health measurement. My research spans many domains of human movement including the control and coordination of gait, postural dynamics, and the assessment of physical activity. I apply principles founded in complex and dynamical systems to measures posture and gait with an interest in identifying features of disease and aging that can be used to either a) identify disease states either early in their course or ideally in a pre-clinical state. Michael works with a number of MassAITC pilots looking to determine if subtle changes in human movement patterns can serve as a digital biomarker for AD/ADRD. He frequently works with wearable technologies that measure behavioral and metabolic targets.
- Shifali Singh, MD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Assistant Professor, and Director of Digital Neuropsychology & Brain Health at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School
- Dr. Shifali Singh is a Licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist, Assistant Professor, and the Director of Digital Neuropsychology and Brain Health at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She is also a Lecturer at Harvard University. Her research and clinical interests aim to use digital tools to modernize neuropsychology. Dr. Singh is also a Venture Partner at Aphelion Capital and is the Immediate Past-President of Division 12 Section 10, a member of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Advisory Board, and the Founder of the AssocIation of Neuropsychology Students & Trainees (ANST) Neurotechnology Initiative.
- Ipsit Vahia, MD, Interim Chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Director of Digital Digital Care Translation at McLean Hospital; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
- Ipsit Vahia, MD, is a geriatric psychiatrist, clinician, and researcher. He is the interim chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and director of Digital Psychiatry Translation at McLean Hospital. He is also director of the Technology and Aging Laboratory. His research focuses on the use of technology and informatics in the assessment and management of older adults and currently, he oversees a clinical and research program on aging, behavior, and technology. He has published extensively in major international journals and textbooks.