Objective assessment of cognitive function is important when memory problems are suspected. Current clinical practice relies on in-person cognitive testing conducted by healthcare professionals. However, access to examinations may be limited and the distance to healthcare facilities can be long.
A study conducted by the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland showed that memory can also be reliably assessed over the telephone among people aged 65 and over. The feasibility of telephone-based memory assessment had not been previously studied in Finland.
The research group invited more than 200 participants to complete a word-list memory task both by telephone and during an in-person visit. Participants performed similarly in both situations, suggesting that the method could be particularly useful for research purposes.
“Assessing memory remotely makes large-scale screening much easier,” says postdoctoral researcher Toni Saari from the University of Helsinki.
Memory tests and blood biomarkers together flag early signs of Alzheimer’s
Next, the researchers compared information obtained from memory tests together with a blood test to estimate the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This analysis included individuals aged 65 to 85 who had not been diagnosed with a memory disorder.
The results showed that poorer performance in telephone-based memory and verbal fluency tasks was associated with higher levels of Alzheimer’s disease-related blood biomarker p-tau217.
Approximately one in ten participants showed both biomarker levels and cognitive performance patterns typical of Alzheimer’s disease. These individuals were also more often carriers of the APOE gene variant that is known to increase the risk of developing the disease.
“The validity of our approach is supported by the prevalence of the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease among individuals who show early signs of cognitive decline in the telephone tests. The progression to Alzheimer’s disease in such individuals should be studied further,” says doctoral researcher Karin Lohi, who conducted this sub-study.
Accessible and scalable tools are needed for earlier Alzheimer’s detection
Treatments aimed at slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease are currently under active development. Thus, the identification of the disease already at early stage will be crucial for timely initiation of the treatment.
“A blood test for Alzheimer’s disease has been introduced, but it is not recommended for cognitively healthy individuals. However, the problem is often that memory has not been assessed objectively, and people may have undetected cognitive impairment” says Group Leader Eero Vuoksimaa from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki.
“Telephone-based tests could enhance the screening of cognitive impairment and to target blood testing to individuals who are likely to have impairments in memory or other cognitive functions. Importance of early diagnostics and the growing need to assess memory disorders in aging populations pose challenges for healthcare systems, and an approach combining telephone interviews and blood tests could help address them,” Vuoksimaa adds.
The studies were carried out as part of the TWINGEN study and NONAGINTA study projects within the University of Helsinki older Finnish Twin Cohort study. The research was funded by the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation. Data collections for the study were supported by FinnGen and the Research Council of Finland.
Publications:
Saari TT, Aaltonen A, Lohi K, Palviainen T, Schwarz C, Urjansson M, Palotie A, Runz H, Julkunen V, Kaprio J, Vuoksimaa E; FinnGen. (2026). Validity of telephone-administered word list learning measures for assessment of episodic memory in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neuropsychology. 40(1):17-35.
Lohi K, Aaltonen A, Herukka SK, Kokkola T, Kärkkäinen S, Urjansson M, FinnGen, Palotie A, Runz H, Kaprio J, Julkunen V, Saari TT, Vuoksimaa E (2026). Scalable biological-cognitive profiling for Alzheimer’s disease in the population. Brain Communications. Volume 8, Issue 3, 2026, fcag168,