Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42465936›Full record

ArticlemedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences2026

In-clinic validation of a smartphone-based finger tapping test for use in neurodegenerative and neurological populations.

Morgan O'Connor, Mark E Sanderson-Cimino, Zi Li, Sreya Dhanam, Anjali Sadarangani, Joshua Downer, Ray Fregly, Jack Taylor, Amy B Wise, Kaitlin B Casaletto and 14 more

Abstract readPreprint
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

Morgan O'ConnorDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Mark E Sanderson-CiminoDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5872-3186
Zi LiDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Sreya DhanamDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Anjali SadaranganiDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Joshua DownerDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Ray FreglyDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Jack TaylorDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Amy B WiseDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Kaitlin B CasalettoDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Leah K ForsbergDepartment of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Maria Luisa Gorno-TempiniDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Hilary W HeuerDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Joel H KramerDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
John KornakDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Bruce MillerDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Emily W PaolilloDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4188-6998
Riley BoveDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2034-8800
Gil RabinoviciDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
William W SeeleyDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Brad F BoeveDepartment of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Howard J RosenDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Adam L BoxerDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Adam M StaffaroniDepartment of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3903-9805

Funding

Technology and Remote Assessment CoreU19AG063911 · NIA · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · PI KEJAL KANTARCI · 2019 to 2026
$120.9M
Research Education ComponentP30AG062422 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI WILLIAM W SEELEY · 2019 to 2026
$36.9M
Mechanisms of Executive Decline in Normal AgingR01AG032289 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Kaitlin B Casaletto, JOEL H KRAMER · 2009 to 2026
$8.3M
Unraveling the intersection of synaptic biology, lifestyle, and cognitive resilienceR01AG072475 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CASALETTO, KAITLIN B · 2021 to 2025
$4.3M
Effects of chronic inflammation on brain structure and functionR01AG048234 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KRAMER, JOEL H · 2015 to 2019
$3.2M
Novel Imaging and Biofluid Biomarkers of Small Vessel Cerebrovascular DiseaseUF1NS100608 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KRAMER, JOEL H · 2021 to 2021
$2.5M
Validating remote digital assessments for familial frontotemporal dementiaR01AG077557 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Adam Mark Staffaroni · 2025 to 2026
$1.6M
Optimizing Clinical Trial Endpoints in Frontotemporal DementiaK23AG061253 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI STAFFARONI, ADAM MARK · 2019 to 2023
$946k
Passive digital phenotyping for capturing real-world neurobehavior in neurodegenerative diseaseK23AG084883 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Emily Paolillo · 2024 to 2026
$592k
NIA NIH HHS K23 AG061253NIA NIH HHS K23 AG084883NIA NIH HHS P30 AG062422NIA NIH HHS R01 AG032289NIA NIH HHS R01 AG048234NIA NIH HHS R01 AG072475NIA NIH HHS R01 AG077557NIA NIH HHS U19 AG063911NINDS NIH HHS UF1 NS100608
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Motor disturbances are common in neurologic and neurodegenerative syndromes. A standard motor speed and dexterity measure is the finger tapping test (FTT). The FTT has traditionally been administered in clinic using a mechanical FTT, limiting accessibility and early motor change quantification. This study assessed the validity of a smartphone app-based FTT, which may expand access and enable more frequent testing. Methods: The cohort was diagnostically diverse, including participants with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome, primary progressive aphasia, multiple sclerosis, and clinically unimpaired controls. Participants completed a 20-second ALLFTD Mobile App (mApp)-FTT with each hand. Tapping speed metrics were extracted. Participants completed the gold-standard mechanical FTT, a neurologist-administered finger tapping exam, the PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS) and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Correlations assessed mApp-FTT and mechanical FTT relationships; regressions evaluated associations with neurologist-rated finger tapping impairment, PSPRS and UPDRS, adjusting for age and sex. Results: The mApp-FTT showed moderate-to-strong correlations with the mechanical FTT (dominant: r=0.63, p<0.001; non-dominant: r=0.55, p<0.001). Taps per second were associated with PSPRS motor severity (dominant hand: std. β=-0.59, 95% CI [-0.91, -0.27], p<0.001) and the UPDRS (dominant hand: std. β=-0.41, 95% CI [-0.82, 0.00], p=0.049). Flight time was modestly associated with neurologist-rated finger tapping impairment (dominant hand: std. β=0.15, 95% CI [0.00, 0.29], p=0.044). Conclusion: These findings support mApp-FTT validity as a measure of motor function across neurodegenerative conditions. Validation in longitudinal and unsupervised remote settings is warranted to understand scalability and evaluate change over time.

Indexed as

datacubed healthdigital biomarkerfrontotemporal dementia/frontotemporal lobar degenerationmotor speed and dexterityprogressive supranuclear palsy

Identifiers

PMID42465936
PMCPMC13370562

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.