Overview: Early detection of cognitive decline is critical for effective intervention in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Traditional neuropsychological assessments, while useful for diagnosing impairment, are limited in their ability to detect subtle, preclinical changes. Dr. Martin Sliwinski and colleagues propose a novel approach using ultra-brief, mobile cognitive assessments embedded in daily life through ecological momentary assessment (EMA). This method captures high-frequency, real-world data on cognitive performance, enabling the detection of short-term variability and long-term trends. By integrating these assessments with contextual data (e.g., stress, social engagement, physical activity), researchers can model dynamic cognitive processes and identify early signs of decline. Studies demonstrate that repeated mobile testing can distinguish between biomarker-positive and -negative individuals before clinical symptoms emerge, and that learning rates and forgetting patterns differ between cognitively unimpaired individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, day-to-day cognitive fluctuations are significantly associated with modifiable lifestyle factors, suggesting potential for real-time intervention monitoring. This work highlights the promise of combining mobile assessments with computational modeling and passive sensing to create scalable, personalized tools for cognitive health monitoring.
Martin J. Sliwinski, PhD, Director of the Center for Healthy Aging, Gregory H. Wolf Professor of Aging Studies, Director of the Penn State Geroscience and Dementia Prevention Consortium, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State University
About the Speaker: Dr. Sliwinski’s work focuses on improving the measurement of cognitive change with applications in cognitive aging and dementia prevention. His research explores how fluctuations in cognitive performance—shaped by factors such as stress, social interactions, and physical activity—can reveal early signs of cognitive decline and inform strategies for maintaining brain health. Dr. Sliwinski has led the development of innovative methods for assessing cognition in real-world settings, including the Mobile Monitoring of Cognitive Change (M2C2) platform, which leverages mobile technology to capture high-frequency, in-the-moment cognitive data. His research emphasizes dynamic phenotyping of daily experiences and cognitive function, examining their inter-relationships across multiple timescales, from micro-changes over days to long-term trajectories over years. By embedding ambulatory cognitive assessments into ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and daily diary designs, his projects capture frequent, real-time snapshots of cognitive function, behavior, psychological states, and environmental exposures in people’s natural environments, advancing tools for monitoring and promoting cognitive health.