Investigating changes in cognition in MND using digital tools.
Principal Investigator: Dr Rhian Convery
Lead Institution: University College London
MND Association Funding: £165,000
Funding dates: April 2026 - September 2027
About the project
With MND, some people experience changes to their thinking and behaviour, including the way they take in information, process language, express emotion and react to others. The effects are usually mild, but can be more severe. This research aims to investigate how cognition is affected in people with MND, using digital tools including: an app called Ignite, which uses mini-games to evaluate different aspects of thinking, and another assessment that tracks eye movements on a tablet to see how people respond to certain tasks. Language will also be assessed through voice recordings to investigate if machine learning can detect early disruptions in speech in MND. This initial study will investigate if these tools are sensitive by testing them in 100 people with MND from four clinics in the UK and comparing the results with those from a control group of people without MND. People with MND will use the tools at home and answer questions about their experience.
What could this mean for MND research?
This study could help us better understand how MND affects cognition and may help to improve how we track these changes. It could help to inform the useability and acceptability of these digital approaches, and whether they could be helpful for future use in clinical trials and remote monitoring.
Project code: 2579-794