Neuropsychology Working Group Objectives
Project Description: Collaborating across sites to harmonise neuropsychological protocols in ALS, while more locally optimising neuropsychological assessment tools and frameworks to better understand the cognitive and behavioural progression of ALS.
Project Objective: Broadly, we are working with colleagues across P-ALS sites to harmonise data collection methodologies and enable robust, collaborative insights on neuropsychological facets of ALS. Concurrently, we aim to update specific cognitive measures used during neuropsychological patient assessment and implement an updated clinical workflow to improve collection of behavioural data across the disease course, allowing us to gain an improved picture of how behavioural change impacts the patient across the disease course.
The secondary goal is to investigate the potential utility of speech and facial parameter analysis independently and/or in combination with the measurement of other physical impairments (gait/mobility, swallow, strength, dexterity, and respiration) in the search for new biomarkers / assessments of disease progression.
Project Status: At present, we are collating cognitive data from patients and controls to examine in conjunction with other P-ALS sites. We are also in the process of developing a clinical protocol outlining the collection of behavioural data in clinical and community settings which we aim to implement by the end of the year.