🏧Banking on Brain Health: How a Simple App Could Support Early Detection of Cognitive Decline
Could forgetting a PIN be more than a simple slip? Scientists behind the Banking App believe that subtle changes in how we handle financial tasks may signal early cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease. By simulating ATM interactions, the app captures detailed performance metrics—such as speed, accuracy, and error patterns—that researchers use to study functional changes before traditional symptoms appear.
Overview of Banking App
Photo: CERTH
“Managing finances is one of the areas that can be impacted as cognitive abilities begin to change,” explains Spiros Nikolopoulos, lead of the CERTH team developing the app. “Our goal is to transform this real-world activity into a digital biomarker that can support early detection research.”
Why Financial Tasks Matter
Research1,2 shows that financial management—classified as an Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL)—is often compromised early in cognitive disorders. Complex tasks like entering a PIN or confirming a transaction require memory, attention, and executive function. When these abilities start to falter, it can be an early warning sign of mild cognitive impairment, which may progress to dementia.
[1] L. H. Nicholas, K. M. Langa, J. P. W. Bynum, and J. W. Hsu, “Financial Presentation of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias,” JAMA Intern. Med., vol. 181, no. 2, pp. 220–227, 2021, doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.6432
[2] Trendl A, Anwyl-Irvine A, Vomfell L, et al. Early Behavioral Markers of Loss of Financial Capacity. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(6):e2515894. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.15894
Inside the Banking App
The app is deceptively simple: users memorize a PIN and an amount, then enter them on a keypad. But beneath the surface, it records over 100 features, including completion times, error rates, and behavioral patterns. These data points are invaluable for researchers developing machine learning models to predict risk. The app’s four levels—from standard keypad entry to randomized buttons under time pressure—are designed to reveal subtle cognitive challenges.
Our featured image in this article brings you some overview of the Banking App.
From Research to Real-World Impact
The Banking App has already been deployed in major studies like RADAR-AD and is now part of PREDICTOM, which will involve 4,000 participants. Its home-based design makes large-scale testing feasible, a critical step toward understanding how digital biomarkers can complement traditional assessments. However, researchers stress that the app is not a diagnostic tool. It cannot confirm dementia and should never replace clinical evaluation.
The Innovation Behind the Simplicity
What sets the Banking App apart is its ability to digitize a real-world task that millions perform daily. This approach bridges the gap between clinical research and everyday life, offering a scalable solution for early detection studies. By combining app data with other biological and digital markers, scientists hope to build predictive models that identify risk earlier and more accurately.
Looking Ahead
As dementia cases rise globally, the need for innovative, accessible tools has never been greater. While the Banking App won’t diagnose Alzheimer’s, it represents a promising step toward proactive brain health monitoring. For stakeholders—from healthcare providers to policymakers—the message is clear: digital biomarkers like this could reshape how we approach prevention and early intervention.
The Banking App is developed and integrated by CERTH team members for the PREDICTOM project.
From left to right: Vasilis Alepopoulos, Giorgos Giannios, Margarita Grammatikopoulou, and Spiros Nikolopoulos
