Creyos, a global provider of digital cognitive and behavioral health assessment solutions, has announced that its technology is featured in two research posters at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026, the premier international forum for dementia research. While one study focuses on improving the early identification of cognitive impairment in clinical practice, the other examines the long-term effects of bushfire smoke exposure on the cognitive health of rural firefighters. Together, these studies demonstrate the versatility of the Creyos platform in addressing diverse questions related to brain health.

Cognitive performance is influenced by a broad range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and clinical conditions. However, many conventional cognitive assessment tools have struggled to keep pace with these evolving research and healthcare needs. In clinical environments, commonly used screening methods often face challenges such as ceiling effects, cultural bias, and dependence on trained professionals for administration. Meanwhile, researchers investigating large populations require assessment tools that can be administered efficiently across geographically dispersed participants. The studies presented at AAIC 2026 illustrate how the Creyos platform addresses both challenges by supporting validated dementia screening in healthcare settings while also enabling large-scale cognitive research in environmental health.

According to Adrian Owen, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging at Western University and Chief Scientific Officer at Creyos, both studies seek to answer a common question from different perspectives: whether cognitive impairment can be detected accurately and at an early stage. He noted that cognitive decline can emerge across a variety of settings wherever the brain experiences biological stress, making it essential to use assessment tools capable of delivering consistent and reliable results regardless of where testing occurs.

He further highlighted that Creyos assessments are supported by extensive normative data collected over several decades from nearly 100,000 individuals of different ages, languages, geographical regions, and health backgrounds. This comprehensive foundation enables the platform to produce dependable results whether assessments are conducted in specialized memory clinics, community outreach programs, or from participants' homes.

Highlights of the AAIC 2026 Research Presentations
1. Improving Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment
Western University – Adrian Owen, PhD, OBE, FRS, FRSC, FCAHS
The Creyos Dementia Protocol (CDP) is a longitudinal research initiative designed to expand upon earlier findings published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, where the Creyos cognitive screener was successfully validated in a clinical population. The current study extends that work by evaluating the screener across the full spectrum of cognitive decline within a larger population.

The screening approach combines two computerized cognitive tasks that assess visuospatial working memory and attention with a machine learning algorithm trained on data from thousands of individuals. Previous validation studies demonstrated excellent performance, achieving complete sensitivity in identifying patients clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease while maintaining high specificity among matched control participants. Importantly, the system also identified one Alzheimer's patient whose score exceeded the traditional impairment threshold of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), suggesting greater sensitivity for detecting subtle cognitive decline. In addition, the screener distinguished dementia-related impairment from cognitive changes associated with other medical conditions.

The ongoing CDP study will monitor approximately 400 participants representing four stages of cognitive decline over a 12-month period to further evaluate the screener's effectiveness in real-world settings.

2. Assessing the Cognitive Effects of Bushfire Smoke Exposure
QIMR Berghofer – Michelle Lupton, PhD
The R-FIRE (Rural Firefighter Investigation of Risk & Exposure) study is exploring whether prolonged exposure to bushfire smoke has measurable effects on cognitive function among more than 1,800 rural firefighters in Australia. The Creyos platform forms an important component of the study's cognitive assessment program.

As bushfire seasons become longer and more severe, firefighters are increasingly exposed to high concentrations of smoke containing fine particulate matter capable of entering the bloodstream and potentially affecting the brain. R-FIRE aims to determine whether repeated exposure to these particles is associated with measurable cognitive decline.

Participants complete a series of Creyos cognitive assessments alongside detailed health and exposure questionnaires. Additionally, a subset of firefighters representing the highest and lowest levels of smoke exposure will undergo blood testing for biomarkers, including indicators associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology.

The R-FIRE project builds upon earlier work from the Prospective Imaging Study of Aging (PISA), one of the world's largest research programs dedicated to the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, which previously demonstrated the effectiveness of the Creyos platform for remote cognitive assessment among adults between 42 and 75 years of age.

Click here to know more.