Combined cognitive, biomarker testing targets Parkinson’s, related disorders
Amprion, Prema Cognition collaboration aims to identify, evaluate those at risk
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- Amprion and Prema Cognition are partnering to identify and evaluate people at risk of developing Parkinson's and related disorders.
- The approach pairs digital cognitive testing and molecular biomarker analysis.
- The companies also plan to explore its application in clinical research and drug development.
Amprion and Prema Cognition have entered into a collaboration to explore an approach for identifying and evaluating people at risk for Parkinson’s disease and related disorders that combines digital cognitive testing with molecular biomarker analysis.
The partnership will pair Premas’ cognitive assessment technology, called Premaz, with Amprion’s biomarker testing, with Premaz helping to identify people who may need further evaluation for biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases.
The collaboration is part of Amprion’s broader Neuro-Convergence Initiative, which aims to combine biological, cognitive, and digital measures to better understand how neurodegenerative diseases develop and progress.
“Earlier detection of neurodegenerative disease requires more than a single measurement,” Russ Lebovitz, MD, PhD, Amprion’s CEO, said in a company press release. “The Premaz digital cognitive assessment complements our molecular diagnostics by helping identify individuals who may benefit from additional testing.”
Amprion’s test detects misfolded proteins
Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, collectively known as synucleinopathies, are characterized by the buildup of clumps of misfolded proteins, particularly alpha-synuclein, in the brain. This leads to the formation of structures known as Lewy bodies. Along with Parkinson’s motor symptoms such as tremor, stiffness, and slowed movement, some patients may also develop cognitive problems.
Because symptoms can vary widely between people and overlap with those of other neurological disorders, combining information about a person’s symptoms and cognitive function with biological evidence of disease may provide a more complete picture of what is happening in the brain.
Amprion’s SAAmplify-alphaSYN, previously known as SYNTap, is a qualitative test that detects misfolded alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The test uses a seed amplification assay, a laboratory method that mimics how misfolded alpha-synuclein triggers further protein aggregation.
Detecting these abnormal aggregates can provide evidence of synuclein pathology and aid physicians in evaluating disorders such as Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies.
The test is commercially available in the U.S. and has received a breakthrough device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to aid in evaluating people for Parkinson’s.
Premaz measures how accurately information is remembered
Premaz is a digital cognitive assessment tool that takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete on a tablet or computer, either remotely or at the clinic. According to Prema, it measures how accurately information is remembered, and not just whether it is remembered.
This can detect subtle changes in cognitive function that may be missed by conventional cognitive screening, potentially indicating the need for a more detailed clinical or biological evaluation.
By combining functional assessment with biological confirmation, we hope to make earlier identification of neurodegenerative disease more accessible and actionable for clinicians.
The tool was developed by Julia Cooney, MD, founder and CEO of Prema Cognition, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Memory Lab. It was launched in 2025, and has been used in clinics in the U.S., the U.K., and India.
“Digital cognitive assessment and molecular biomarkers answer different clinical questions, but together they provide a much more complete picture of brain health,” Cooney said. “By combining functional assessment with biological confirmation, we hope to make earlier identification of neurodegenerative disease more accessible and actionable for clinicians.”
In addition to the combined approach’s potential use as a testing sequence to help identify people who may need further evaluation, the companies also plan to explore its application in clinical research and drug development by helping to characterize participants and evaluate treatment efficacy.
In July, Amprion announced a similar partnership with Modality.AI to explore multimodal assessment using digital measures alongside biological biomarkers.
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