Online Keyboard Tapping Tests Could Predict Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers are working to find low-cost methods for detecting early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) to aid in the development of neuroprotective drugs. A study published recently in The Journal Of The ALzheimer's Association by Xinyi Wang and colleagues which focused on the potential of home-based keyboard tapping tests, specifically the Tasmanian (TAS) Test, to predict episodic memory performance, a common early symptom of Alzheimer's.

The study involved 1,169 community participants without cognitive symptoms, with an average age of 65.8 years and 73% being female. These participants completed online single-key and alternate-key tapping tests as well as cognitive tests for episodic memory, working memory, and executive function.

● The results were promising. Both the single-key tapping tests (R2adj = 8.8%, ΔAIC = 5.2) and alternate-key tapping tests (R2adj = 9.1%, ΔAIC = 8.8) were found to predict episodic memory performance, even when accounting for demographic and mood-related factors (R2adj = 8.1%).

● The tapping tests did not significantly improve the estimation of working memory.

The study's findings suggest that brief online hand movement tests could potentially predict asymptomatic episodic memory impairment, which could serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease. This approach offers a promising avenue for the development of a low-cost, home-based method for stratifying individuals in community cohorts for potential early intervention or research purposes.

This research highlights the potential of accessible and easy-to-administer tests in aiding the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, a crucial step in improving treatment outcomes and potentially slowing the progression of the disease.

In this study involving a large community cohort of asymptomatic adults, an association was discovered between the Tasmanian (TAS) Test's keyboard tapping tests and episodic memory performance. However, there wasn't a consistent link between the tapping tests and executive function. Both tapping tests were found to predict episodic memory performance beyond demographic and mood data, with the alternate-key test showing a stronger predictor than the single-key test.

Reference:

Wang, X., St George, R. J., Bindoff, A. D., Noyce, A. J., Lawler, K., Roccati, E., Bartlett, L., Tran, S. N., Vickers, J. C., Bai, Q., & Alty, J. (2023). Estimating presymptomatic episodic memory impairment using simple hand movement tests: A cross‐sectional study of a large sample of older adults. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13401