Spotting early memory changes with brief at-home learning tests
Ahead of the Curve: Early detection and monitoring of learning decrements in Alzheimers disease
This project uses short daily web-based memory and thinking tasks to find early learning problems in people at risk for Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320903 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would complete about 10 minutes of brief memory and processing-speed tasks on your phone or computer each day for a week to capture how your learning changes over several days. The team uses a web platform called BRANCH to collect high-resolution learning curves from these repeated short tests. The goal is to detect subtle trouble with forming lasting memories that might show up before typical clinic tests can. If helpful, the same approach could be used repeatedly to monitor changes over time or to see if treatments are working.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults concerned about memory or who are at risk for Alzheimer’s and who can use a smartphone or computer for brief daily tests.
Not a fit: People without reliable internet/device access, those with advanced dementia who cannot complete short tasks, or those unable to follow instructions likely would not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could catch Alzheimer’s-related memory changes earlier and allow faster, easier monitoring using short at-home tests.
How similar studies have performed: Other web-based and repeated short-testing approaches have shown promise in early work and the team reports preliminary data supporting this multi-day learning method, but larger validation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Papp, Kathryn Victoria — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Papp, Kathryn Victoria
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.