# Implementation and validation of an online Caregiver and Study Partner Portal for assessment of cognitive function in older adults

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2021 · $143,854

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a growing public health threat with no disease-modifying treatments. A major
obstacle to providing care and developing new therapeutics is the difficulty identifying those at risk for AD or in
an early disease state. Therefore, the development of scalable, accessible screening tools is a critical unmet
need in the field and is the overall goal of this work. The Caregiver and Study Partner Portal (CASPP) is an
innovative new web-based tool that I built and publically launched to remotely collect cognitive and functional
data from a large, diverse cohort of study partner (SP)-participant dyads. The CASPP is part of the Brain
Health Registry (BHR), a public online registry created by my primary mentor Dr. Weiner, currently with over
43,000 participants, which captures cognitive, health, and lifestyle data using self-report questionnaires and
neuropsychological tests (NPTs). The specific scientific goal of this proposal is evaluate the construct and
predictive validity of the CASPP in a diverse cohort of 10,000 SP-participant dyads. Five year longitudinal
CASPP data from SPs of clinically-normal (CN), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and AD older adults will be
analyzed to measure associations between online SP-report and in-clinic decline in NPT scores, participant-
reported cognitive function, and SP telephone interview. Data from participant-SP dyads co-enrolled in BHR
and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) or BHR and the Imaging Dementia-Evidence of
Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) study will be used to test whether CASPP data can predict brain β-amyloid levels
and clinical diagnosis. Use of remote SP report for AD screening is a novel concept that requires me to
acquire a specialized set of new skills. To conduct this proposed project and prepare me for an independent
AD clinical research career, I will gain training in (1) Validation of cognitive and ADL function in older adults,
including measuring construct and predictive validity, and measuring function across cognitive domains using
NPTs, self-and SP-reported measures; (2) Challenges of conducting clinical AD research, especially
participant recruitment/engagement, online patient-reported outcomes, and recruitment of underrepresented
minorities; (3) Advanced study design and biostatistical analyses, especially using multivariable predictive
modeling and linear mixed effects to study large, complex datasets. I have assembled a team of mentors and
advisors who are committed to facilitating my training in these areas, and I have designed a detailed training
plan that includes tutorials, hands-on experience with conducting clinical AD research, academic coursework,
and relevant seminars. I plan to use the data I collect to obtain an R01 which will expand the CASPP in order
to elucidate the role of SP-reported data in assessing cognitive and ADL function of older adults, and test the
CASPP as an AD screening tool. These findings ar...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10165437
- **Project number:** 5K01AG055692-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Rachel Lauren Nosheny
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $143,854
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10165437

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10165437, Implementation and validation of an online Caregiver and Study Partner Portal for assessment of cognitive function in older adults (5K01AG055692-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10165437. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*