PBHI Projects

ONGOING PROJECTS 

Digital Phenotyping of Brain Health (dCog) 

This study aims to develop a robust digital technology platform that will allow for extensive longitudinal data collection and remote monitoring of various lifestyle factors related to brain health. The platform is driven by participant choice and includes smartphone applications, wearable devices, and in-home sensors. The digital data collected from these technologies is then compared to the clinical data collected during participants’ annual evaluations at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (BU ADRC) to gain insight into trends and possible indicators of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This project is in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) and Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Foundation (ADDF), who both provide a set of technologies within our dynamic digital platform.

Futurizing Brain Health Monitoring Platform (vTech) 

This study pilots different technologies before inclusion in the dCog study’s digital platform. A small group of community volunteers recruited from the greater Boston community tests out new and emerging technologies. This project acts as a feasibility assessment, helping us determine which technologies should transition to our longitudinal dCog study. Participants are enrolled for four years and conduct quarterly study visits. We are committed to recruiting participants from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds to gain more diverse perspectives on novel technologies.

Data Sharing and Analyzing 

This ongoing project encompasses the collaborative efforts to analyze the data being collected through the Digital Phenotyping of Brain Health (dCog) study. We harmonize our digital datasets in order for them to be uploaded onto several data-sharing platforms, including the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative’s (ADDI), AD Curation Studio, and the AHA Precision Medicine Platform. Through these efforts, we share our multi-modal digital data with other researchers to maximize scientific discovery. Internally, we analyze the digital data collected through our studies alongside the clinical data collected through the BU ADRC. We aim to find meaningful digital measures that detect early changes in brain health.

Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Foundation Speech Consortium (SpeechDx) 

Implemented within our Digital Phenotyping of Brain Health (dCog) cohort, the ADDF Speech Consortium (SpeechDx) platform evaluates speech and language biomarkers as a measure of Alzheimer’s disease progression. Participants are provided with a smart tablet to complete a set of uniform speech-based tasks every three months for three years. The goal of the project is to obtain a harmonized set of speech samples from clinically characterized participants.

Boston Medical Center Digital Health Study 

Current research demonstrates that dementia is associated with increased rates of hospitalization and poorer outcomes after discharge, including worsening cognitive status. Preceding causes may include the misuse of medication, electrolyte disturbances, sleeping problems, and infection, some of which may be able to be treated in the home. Digital technologies, such as wearable devices, smartphone applications, and in-home external sensors, offer a solution to detect behavioral markers of impending health problems at a minimal burden to the patient and the caregiver. Working with the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston Medical Center, this project recruited ~20 participants to pilot test an in-home sensor system capturing daily life behaviors. By detecting changes in behavior reliability over time, we may be able to assess who is at-risk for adverse health events, allowing for early intervention and de-escalation via caregiver or care team.

Biomarkers for Reliable, Early Diagnosis Through Breath (BREATH)

This research study enrolls participants from an existing clinical cohort in the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to evaluate TRACE-E, a novel breath-sensing device designed to detect Alzheimer’s disease-related biomarkers in exhaled breath. Participants undergo simple in-clinic breath testing using the TRACE-E device, exhaling into a disposable mouthpiece for 15-30 seconds. The device employs thermodynamic vapor sensors capable of detecting molecules in the breath, generating a biomarker “fingerprint” that may be indicative of Alzheimer’s pathology. Annual assessments will be conducted for up to 3 years. As a non-invasive, low-risk procedure comparable to spirometry, this research aims to validate whether breath analysis can serve as an objective, accessible biomarker tool for early Alzheimer’s disease detection.

PAST PROJECTS

The Remote Application of Digital Technology in the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) Brain Donation Program Cohort 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI), like those sustained during American football. At this time, CTE can only be clinically diagnosed post-mortem. Using noninvasive technologies that collect digital health metrics, this study hoped to address both the detection and monitoring of chronic TBI symptoms. The primary aim of this study was to use smartphone applications to characterize the clinical presentation of a large cohort of living individuals with exposure to RHI who are already enrolled in the CLF brain donation program, the majority of whom have a history of head injuries. This study aimed to further our ability to diagnose CTE during life and differentiate it from other related neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease). 

Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Foundation (ADDF) Pilot Study

This pilot study sought to evaluate the feasibility of a uniform longitudinal data set of recorded speech-based tests and cohort retention. Using a tablet-based platform that uses new and emerging cognitive assessments, the ADDF Pilot Study aimed to obtain a set of speech samples to evaluate speech and language biomarkers as a measure of disease progression through the use of repeated, longitudinal, monthly measurements. These measurements were done both in-clinic at the start of the study and remotely by participants for 3 months.

COVID Brain Health Study 

There is increasing evidence of neurological and psychological deficits in individuals who have experienced COVID-19 which can last for months following infection. The goal of this remote study was to understand the effect of COVID-19 on the brain by characterizing the trajectory of cognition among those infected by COVID-19, compared to those who have not experienced COVID-19. The study involves smartphone applications that measure thinking, memory and mood through task performance and voice recordings.

Clinical Applications of Digital Technology in AD Dementia (ADC) 

This remote study involved completing brief a smartphone application at a high frequency over a 12-month period. The application contained three short memory and thinking tasks and takes about 5 minutes to complete. The goal of the study was to determine whether the digital information collected from this application can provide insights related to the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease dementia and what frequency of assessments is most sensitive to changes in cognition.

Evidation AD Biomarker Study

The primary goal of this study was to find information that can be collected from digital devices (smartphones, watches, sleep trackers) and at-home active tasks (performed on tablets) that may detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings of this study may also be used to support future product development.

ADAPT-MCI (Indivi)

The ADAPT-MCI-01 study was a six-week pilot investigation evaluating Indivi Go, an innovative smartphone-based cognitive assessment application, among individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls. MCI participants were recruited and matched with healthy controls within a 2-year age range and 5-year education range. Participants completed six cognitive tasks every day for two weeks and then weekly for four weeks, with baseline and end of study visits. Throughout the study period, the task difficulty changed depending on individual performance and reached a static difficulty level to maintain sensitivity in detecting cognitive decline. The study finished with 32 participants: 16 MCI and 16 healthy controls.

Beatitudes Digital Blood Health Study

The Beatitudes Digital Blood Health Study was a two-year research project recruiting 38 older adults from Beatitudes Senior Living Community in Phoenix, Arizona with hopes of advancing Alzheimer’s disease detection through integrated digital and blood-based assessments. Participants underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing, multi-method blood collection (including venous draws, finger pricks, and upper arm collection for biomarker analysis), and quarterly smartphone assessments measuring cognition and voice. By correlating these diverse digital and biological measures with each participant’s clinical profile, the study aims to identify which combinations of data can effectively capture cognitive decline among varying levels of cognition. The end goal is the development of a low-cost, low-burden screening tool that could enable earlier detection and intervention for cognitive impairment.