# Digital Markers of Cognition Across the Spectrum of Preclinical Cognitive Impairment to Dementia

> **NIH NIH K01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2021 · $119,138

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Stacy L. Andersen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Boston University School of
Medicine. She seeks a mentored career development award (K01) to obtain critical knowledge skills in
biostatistics, communication patterns, neuropsychological assessment, and neuroimaging, particularly as they
relate to cognitive aging, and necessary research experience leading to an independent career as a
neuroscientist in field of aging research, specifically in the field of healthy aging and cognitive resilience.
 The training proposal details a five-year plan of formal and informal instruction in the pathophysiologic basis
of brain changes associated with aging and neurodegenerative disease as well as training in biostatistics and
analysis methods. Dr. Andersen’s mentors, established experts in the fields of neuropsychology,
neuroimaging, and gerontology have met with Dr. Andersen to formulate a plan of course work, guided study,
seminars and academic meetings. Short-term career goals include to complete course work in linguistics,
neuroimaging methods, and statistical analysis, disseminate high quality mentored research findings via
presentations and published works, engage in career development activities and to apply for independent R
grant funding early in the fifth year of the award period. Long-term career goals are to be an independent
neuropsychiatric epidemiologist with content expertise in the neuropsychological assessment of long-lived
individuals, novel applications of technology for evaluating cognitive function, and factors associated with
cognitive resilience.
 The specific aims of the proposed research are to (1) with specialized software, extract cognitive
performance metrics from digital voice recordings and digitally-captured motor performance, (2) test the
hypothesis that digital metrics of speech and motor production are sensitive to variations in cognitive function
and clinical dementia status, (3) test the hypothesis that digital metrics of speech and motor production are
associated with neuroanatomical substrates as detected by structural and functional MRI, and (4) institute
prospective data collection of longitudinal, digitally-acquired neuropsychological test data. This study has the
potential to identify digital metrics as correlates of cognitive function and possibly early markers of cognitive
change allowing for earlier diagnosis and intervention.
 Completion of the proposed aims will provide preliminary findings that will lay the groundwork for a grant
application investigating the association of longitudinal changes in traditional and digital neuropsychological
metrics with incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia as well as the factors associated with an absence
of longitudinal cognitive change (i.e., cognitive resilience).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10190755
- **Project number:** 5K01AG057798-04
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Stacy Andersen
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $119,138
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10190755

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10190755, Digital Markers of Cognition Across the Spectrum of Preclinical Cognitive Impairment to Dementia (5K01AG057798-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10190755. Licensed CC0.

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