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The authors would like to acknowledge the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care in the South West Peninsula (PenCLAHRC) and Clinical Trials Methods in Neurodegenerative Diseases (Programme Grant RP-PG-0707-10124). Introduction: Ensuring reliable administration and reporting of cognitive screening tests are fundamental in establishing good clinical practice and research. This study captured the rate and type of errors in clinical practice, using the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III), and then the reduction in error rate using a computerized alternative, the ACEmobile app. Methods: In study 1, we evaluated ACE-III assessments completed in National Health Service (NHS) clinics (n = 87) for administrator error. In study 2, ACEmobile and ACE-III were then evaluated for their ability to capture accurate measurement. Results: In study 1, 78% of clinically administered ACE-IIIs were either scored incorrectly or had arithmetical errors. In study 2, error rates seen in the ACE-III were reduced by 85%–93% using ACEmobile. Discussion: Error rates are ubiquitous in routine clinical use of cognitive screening tests and the ACE-III. ACEmobile provides a framework for supporting reduced administration, scoring, and arithmetical error during cognitive screening. Publisher PDF

The current gold standard for assessment and monitoring of Parkinson9s disease (PD) is the unified PD rating scale (UPDRS). While a useful evaluation tool, its application for research is limited by the need for an experienced rater, intra and inter-rater reliability and a 5-point scale. The UPDRS is time-consuming with the specific motor assessment taking >15 minutes to administer. Rapid, objective tools are needed to aid monitoring of PD for research utility. A finger-tapping app (PD-Tap), developed for use on an iPod Touch, was used to test finger tapping performance in 16 patients with idiopathic Parkinson9s disease (mean age 66 years and disease duration 12 months) and 16 age-matched-controls (AMC). A fast finger-tapping task taking

BackgroundIn order to facilitate neuroprotective trials in Parkinson's disease (PD), there is a need for improved means of early disease detection and measuring disease progression. Computerised assessment may afford easier and increasingly accurate administration of motor and cognitive tests, as well as measurement of indices not readily accessible with standard testing paradigms.AimTo develop and validate iPad-based cognitive and motor measures in PD.Method62 PD patients and 42 age-matched controls completed traditional and iPad versions of the Trail Making Test (TMT) (executive function) and Knox Cube Test (visual memory), as well as a range of other measures.ResultsMedian age was 68 years; median MOCA score was 26. No participant had previously used an iPad. There was significant correlation between traditional and iPad measures: TMTa r=0.74, pConclusionThis initial study has demonstrated that two iPad-based measures of cognition are acceptable to PD patients and perform similarly to traditional pen-and-paper tests. Further work will extend the analysis of the measured indices in longitudinal studies to determine correlation with disease progression, and extend the battery of iPad-based tests available for PD assessment.