# The Mobile Toolbox for Monitoring Cognitive and Behavioral Function (MTB2)

> **NIH NIH U2C** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $4,799,936

## Abstract

Overall Summary
 Differentiating normal from pathological cognitive change and identifying associated risk factors is essential
in prevention, early diagnosis, and early intervention for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's Disease,
and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementia (AD/ADRD). The goal of The Mobile Toolbox for Monitoring
Cognitive and Behavioral Function renewal (MTB2) is to expand the Mobile Toolbox library of brief and sensitive
measures to create a comprehensive research platform that can remotely assess neurological and behavioral
functions across the lifespan in large-scale studies. The expanded MTB will serve as a form of “common
currency” that researchers can use across diverse study designs and populations. We will address the MTB2
goals through the expansion, widespread dissemination, and support of the MTB as follows:
 1. Add a validated and normed library of iOS and Android smartphone-based measures to assess
non-cognitive domains known to change across the lifespan. The MTB assessment library will add change-
sensitive measures of physical, psychological, social, and behavioral constructs known to influence cognitive
trajectories and/or prelude MCI and AD/ADRD. New measures will be validated against gold standard measures
in healthy adults ages 20-85, clinically validated in a sample of healthy and cognitively impaired adults, and then
normed in a nationally representative age-stratified sample.
 2. Extend and maintain a software platform to support clinical researchers and software developers
in the dynamic, customizable integration of the MTB library into research studies. The MTB enables
researchers to select existing measures and contribute new ones, manage study protocols, and receive, store,
aggregate, analyze, and (as appropriate) share data. We will curate the existing platform and develop new
functionality to gather health and behavior data captured via passive or attachable biosensors on mobile devices.
Software code for MTB2 measures, along with protocols, normative data, and analytical pipelines will be made
openly available to the research community.
 3. Develop and support a growing user base, ensure cost-recovery efforts, and sustain continued
development and refinement of the platform. The MTB will accommodate new research-initiated measures
and enable de-identified data sharing. A complete customer support facility will be created to encourage potential
MTB users to explore and test-drive the MTB. They will have access to an online help system and same-day
customer support, which will directly address issues or triage requests to appropriate scientists and software
developers, leveraging our experience developing the cost recovery models that currently support the NIH
Toolbox and PROMIS measures, ensuring the continuing viability of the MTB.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10729441
- **Project number:** 2U2CAG060426-06
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** RICHARD GERSHON
- **Activity code:** U2C (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $4,799,936
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10729441

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10729441, The Mobile Toolbox for Monitoring Cognitive and Behavioral Function (MTB2) (2U2CAG060426-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10729441. Licensed CC0.

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