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Reimagining dementia screening: A stakeholder-informed perspective on artificial intelligence, digital biomarkers, and real-world implementation
Kevin Mekulu, Faisal Aqlan, Hui Yong Yang. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports, 2025-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The approval of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease demands a rethinking of cognitive screening. Drawing on over 180 stakeholder interviews from the NSF National I-Corps program, this perspective highlights barriers in current workflows, from time constraints in primary care to learning effects in long-term care, and presents innovation pathways centered on AI and digital biomarkers. Speech analysis, in particular, offers a scalable and cost-effective screening tool aligned with existing CPT codes. We outline implementation strategies and emphasize the urgent opportunity to align technological innovation with frontline clinical needs to ensure advances translate into meaningful patient and provider benefit.
Key findings
- The approval of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease demands a rethinking of cognitive screening.
- Drawing on over 180 stakeholder interviews from the NSF National I-Corps program, this perspective highlights barriers in current workflows, from time constraints in primary care to learning effects in long-term care, and presents innovation pathways centered on AI and digital biomarkers.
- Speech analysis, in particular, offers a scalable and cost-effective screening tool aligned with existing CPT codes.
- We outline implementation strategies and emphasize the urgent opportunity to align technological innovation with frontline clinical needs to ensure advances translate into meaningful patient and provider benefit.
Why it matters
Based on over 180 stakeholder interviews, this perspective describes barriers to current cognitive screening and proposes AI and digital biomarkers, especially speech analysis, as scalable screening tools. It is about improving screening and implementation, not about treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 33/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on impact for its field and year, so that was left out: it earned 31 of the 94 points we could judge it on, which is 33 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports: journal h-index 40 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Hui Yong Yang: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Pennsylvania State University: institution h-index 1,397 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41230515) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 31 / 94 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 31 of the 94 points we could judge it on is 33 out of 100. |
| Total | 33 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1177/25424823251395310
- PubMed: 41230515
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Mekulu, K., Aqlan, F., & Yang, H. Y. (2025). Reimagining dementia screening: A stakeholder-informed perspective on artificial intelligence, digital biomarkers, and real-world implementation. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/25424823251395310
Vancouver
Mekulu K, Aqlan F, Yang HY. Reimagining dementia screening: A stakeholder-informed perspective on artificial intelligence, digital biomarkers, and real-world implementation. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports. 2025. doi:10.1177/25424823251395310. PMID: 41230515.
BibTeX
@article{mekulu2025-41230515,
author = {Mekulu, Kevin and Aqlan, Faisal and Yang, Hui Yong},
title = {{Reimagining dementia screening: A stakeholder-informed perspective on artificial intelligence, digital biomarkers, and real-world implementation}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1177/25424823251395310},
pmid = {41230515},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/25424823251395310}
}
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