Relationship Between Within-Session Digital Motor Skill Acquisition and Alzheimer Disease Risk Factors Among the MindCrowd Cohort: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
Andrew Hooyman, Matthew J. Huentelman, Matt D. De Both, Lee Ryan, Kevin M. Duff, Sydney Y. Schaefer. JMIR Aging, 2025-04-24
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Fifty-four participants (~8% response rate) from the MindCrowd web-based cohort (mean age of 62.39 years; 39 females; and 23 APOE ε4 carriers) completed 75 trials of Super G. Results show that Super G performance was significantly associated with each of the targeted risk factors. Specifically, slower Super G response time was associated with being an APOE ε4 carrier (odds ratio 0.12, 95% CI 0.02-0.44; P=.006), greater Super G time in target (TinT) was associated with being male (odds ratio 32.03, 95% CI 3.74-1192,61; P=.01), and lower Super G TinT was associated with greater age (β -3.97, 95% CI -6.64 to -1.30; P=.005). Furthermore, a sex-by-TinT interaction demonstrated a differential relationship between Super G TinT and verbal learning depending on sex (βmale:TinT 6.77, 95% CI 0.34-13.19; P=.04). This experiment demonstrated that this web-based game, Super G, has the potential to be a skill-based digital biomarker for screening of AD risk on a large scale with relatively limited resources.
Key findings
- Fifty-four participants (~8% response rate) from the MindCrowd web-based cohort (mean age of 62.39 years; 39 females; and 23 APOE ε4 carriers) completed 75 trials of Super G.
- Results show that Super G performance was significantly associated with each of the targeted risk factors.
- Specifically, slower Super G response time was associated with being an APOE ε4 carrier (odds ratio 0.12, 95% CI 0.02-0.44; P=.006), greater Super G time in target (TinT) was associated with being male (odds ratio 32.03, 95% CI 3.74-1192,61; P=.01), and lower Super G TinT was associated with greater age (β -3.97, 95% CI -6.64 to -1.30; P=.005).
- Furthermore, a sex-by-TinT interaction demonstrated a differential relationship between Super G TinT and verbal learning depending on sex (βmale:TinT 6.77, 95% CI 0.34-13.19; P=.04).
- This experiment demonstrated that this web-based game, Super G, has the potential to be a skill-based digital biomarker for screening of AD risk on a large scale with relatively limited resources.
Why it matters
In 54 participants from the MindCrowd web cohort, performance on a digital motor skill game was associated with Alzheimer's risk factors, including slower response time in APOE ε4 carriers. This is a small cross-sectional study, and the authors describe the game as having potential as a screening biomarker, not as a treatment or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthModerate
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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (JMIR Aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | JMIR Aging: journal h-index 49 (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 | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” 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 | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Sydney Y. Schaefer: h-index 26 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Arizona: institution h-index 1,336 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40273338) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 33 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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
Hooyman, A., Huentelman, M. J., De Both, M. D., Ryan, L., Duff, K. M., & Schaefer, S. Y. (2025). Relationship Between Within-Session Digital Motor Skill Acquisition and Alzheimer Disease Risk Factors Among the MindCrowd Cohort: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study. JMIR Aging. https://doi.org/10.2196/67298
Vancouver
Hooyman A, Huentelman MJ, De Both MD, Ryan L, Duff KM, Schaefer SY. Relationship Between Within-Session Digital Motor Skill Acquisition and Alzheimer Disease Risk Factors Among the MindCrowd Cohort: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study. JMIR Aging. 2025. doi:10.2196/67298. PMID: 40273338.
BibTeX
@article{hooyman2025-40273338,
author = {Hooyman, Andrew and Huentelman, Matthew J. and De Both, Matt D. and Ryan, Lee and Duff, Kevin M. and Schaefer, Sydney Y.},
title = {{Relationship Between Within-Session Digital Motor Skill Acquisition and Alzheimer Disease Risk Factors Among the MindCrowd Cohort: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study}},
journal = {JMIR Aging},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.2196/67298},
pmid = {40273338},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/67298}
}
Studies this one cites
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