The Administrative Core will provide leadership for all activities by establishing and implementing governance, operational, and policy structure to ensure success of our overall goal?the development and support an open, flexible, and user-centered infrastructure for the mobile monitoring of cognitive change (M2C2) that supports researchers, engages participants, and enables innovation in the measurement of cognitive change. Responsibilities of the Administrative Core fall into four broad categories. First, the core will provide management oversight and oversee communication activities that involve our research team (the Cores and Research Project, NIH representatives), and the broader research community. Second, the Administrative Core will engage in financial oversight and planning, and ensure regulatory compliance with institutional IRBs. Third, we will encourage new and support ongoing collaborations that extend the infrastructure. Fourth, the core will initiate strategic planning activities that anticipate, shape, and respond to emerging priorities at the NIH and in the broader scientific community. The Administrative Core is well positioned to support the operational, financial, and logistical requirements of the cores and the research project. We are experienced in coordinating activities and workflows among multi-component research program, and the core leader (Sliwinski) has experience in all aspects of this endeavor, including administrative and financial management, app development, data analysis and management, as well as overseeing and addressing the logistical needs and challenges of longitudinal aging studies.
Identification of modifiable risk factors prior to the development of neurological conditions in old age represents a critical challenge for developing effective treatment and preventive measures, controlling health care costs, and ultimately improving the quality of life for seniors and their families. This requires methods to detect subtle cognitive changes years prior to the onset of discernable symptoms. The proposed research will significantly advance these efforts by developing innovative ambulatory methods that rely on mobile and sensor technology to measure the cognitive and behavioral function of people in their everyday life. These methods could provide more cost-effective, accurate, sensitive and `ecologically valid' measurements of early signs of cognitive impairment than are currently available through standard laboratory and clinical practices. By improving our ability to measure cognitive function in daily life, this work will set the stage for the next generation of early intervention and prevention studies to slow or prevent cognitive decline.
