2026 Pattishall Research Lecture

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The identification of subtle, early signs of cognitive decline is important for assessing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). In this lecture, Oravecz will highlight how computational modeling can help identify sensitive markers in cognitive performance that signal early stages of cognitive decline. These markers capture internal psychological processes — such as learning, forgetting, and performance inconsistency — through tailored mathematical models.

Using data from “brain games” that participants play on their smartphones during their own daily routines, Oravecz will present findings indicating that these markers can be selectively predictive of mild cognitive impairment, rather than merely reflecting age-related differences in cognition. This implies that these novel markers may be sensitive to cognitive phenotypic information relevant to AD/ADRD risk.

Zita Oravecz was the 2025 recipient of the Evan G. and Helen G. Pattishall Outstanding Research Achievement Award. Her interdisciplinary research program focuses on creating, applying, and disseminating innovative statistical and methodological tools for studying emotional and cognitive functioning across human development. She aims to advance the use of models that capture individual differences through person-specific process model parameters, and to apply these models to large-scale data; for example, intensive longitudinal data from ecological momentary assessment studies that capture “in-the-moment” functioning and experience in naturalistic settings.

One of the goals of her research is to discover novel susceptibility and monitor markers of subtle cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.