A study published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia evaluates whether a mobile app developed by the multi-site FTD research consortium ALLFTD can help users record and transmit scientifically acceptable diagnostic data for FTD.

FTD’s symptoms can make travel to medical and research facilities difficult, especially for those who live in remote, rural areas. This can prolong the time to diagnosis and make participation in many clinical studies prohibitively burdensome for persons diagnosed and care partners.

Smartphones can allow persons diagnosed with FTD to contribute diagnostic data from the comfort of their homes. Whether that data is scientifically viable remains a subject of study in a wide range of clinical fields.

Researchers at ALLFTD partnered with Datacubed Health, a technology company that focuses on remote healthcare data collection, to create the ALLFTD mobile app, with versions for both iOS and Android. The app was designed to replicate exams commonly conducted in person for smartphones and to make it easy for researchers to manage the data contributed by persons diagnosed while remaining compliant with U.S. and E.U. privacy laws.

The app was assessed in two separate studies: a smaller-scale pilot study with 20 participants and a more extensive primary study with 194 participants. ALLFTD staff helped participants set up the app and observed their first assessments, either remotely or in person. Subsequent assessments were done at home – care partners participating in the study were asked to help persons diagnosed navigate the app but could not help them to complete assessments, in order to avoid giving false data.

Participants were able to complete over 70% of the available tasks. However, the number of assignments completed varied depending on whether a participant’s FTD was asymptomatic (71%), prodromal (78%), or symptomatic (59%). Most participants found the app’s instructions clear and felt that there was enough time to get tasks done, though participants had more mixed responses when asked how difficult tasks were.

Overall, the study found that the app was feasible and accepted by participants, many of whom expressed willingness to complete additional assessments. The authors noted that they plan to conduct further interviews to find strategies to improve the app for long-term use.

The study’s authors include AFTD Medical Advisory Council (MAC) Chair Bradford C. Dickerson, MD, Chair-elect Chiadi Onyike, MD, and several other MAC members.

Did you know that researchers at University College London’s Dementia Research Center are testing an app-based cognitive test for FTD? Click here to learn more.

Smartphones and smart home tech can also be helpful in maximizing the quality of life for people with FTD. Click here to read about how a retired Australian psychiatrist uses tech to manage her FTD.