Developing digital health technologies for frontotemporal degeneration

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease in which patients can present with cognitive, behavioral, motor, and speech impairment. Currently, there are no approved therapies available to slow or halt disease progression. Detection and monitoring of patient symptoms is challenging for this heterogeneous disease and has negatively impacted progress in FTD clinical trials. Rapid technological advancements can promote the development of digital health technologies (DHTs) capable of capturing even the most subtle clinical impairments. DHTs are computing platforms being designed to measure meaningful aspects of disease onset and progression. Here we present some of the numerous tools currently being developed to measure changes in the functional domains that become impaired in FTD, challenges faced by developers, and a proposed roadmap for developing fit-for-purpose DHTs that will aid in the development of effective therapies for FTD. Highlights: DHTs are being developed to assess FTD onset and progression. Tool developers must overcome numerous challenges in creating effective applications. Guidance to tool developers aims to benefit FTD drug development and patient care.