Linus Health Will Highlight Digital Innovations in Early Detection of Cognitive Decline at FMX 2025

Digital Tools and Biomarkers Take Center Stage in Early Brain Health Detection at FMX 2025

Linus Health will showcase its latest advances in digital cognitive assessment and biomarker research at the American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) Family Medicine Experience (FMX) 2025, October 5–9 in Anaheim, CA. The company’s initiatives focus on equipping family physicians with scalable tools for earlier detection of cognitive impairment and more personalized brain health care.

A highlight of the program will be a Med Talk by John Showalter, MD, MSIS, chief operating officer at Linus Health, titled “Concern to Clarity: Using Digital Tools & Blood Biomarkers to Transform Brain Health in Primary Care.” Scheduled for Monday, October 7, Showalter will examine how validated digital assessments, combined with emerging blood biomarkers, can help primary care clinicians address cognitive concerns quickly and confidently at the first point of care.

Beyond Pencil and Paper

“Family physicians have long relied on paper-based tests to detect cognitive impairment, but those tools are often less accurate, time-consuming and lack helpful insight compared to digital solutions,” Showalter said. “What we are bringing to FMX 2025 are AI-driven solutions that help clinicians move from patient concern to clinical clarity much earlier: remote validated cognitive assessments, digital biomarkers that detect risk before symptoms appear, and workflow solutions that triage more precisely. Attendees will leave with actionable methods to improve patient outcomes now.”

"We clearly need to empower primary care to be able to detect cognitive impairment. They are the folks on the front lines of this problem. And yet, if you don't detect something, you can't start to manage it," Rodney Swenson, clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Grand Forks, ND, told Patient Care in a recent interview.

"When we try to get cognitive health assessment implemented at the primary care level, there are a lot of roadblocks—and a lot of need for solutions to those roadblocks. Time is a big issue for primary care physicians and providers. I think they already are assessing for cognition—if you look at most annual wellness visits and so forth—but the instruments they're using are not sensitive enough or specific enough."

The burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias continues to rise, and most patients are first diagnosed by non-specialists. Early identification in primary care is essential, given the evidence for lifestyle-based interventions to slow progression and the limited access to specialty care in many regions. Linus Health’s digital platform is designed to support this shift by delivering insights that can trigger immediate action, enabling timely referrals, and generating personalized Brain Health Action Plans for patients.

Among the company’s latest offerings are:

• Anywhere powered by Linus Health: a flexible platform for validated cognitive assessments both in the clinic and remotely, supporting longitudinal tracking and equitable access to early detection.
• New digital biomarkers: research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showed that response-time measures from Linus Health’s digital assessments can identify dementia risk years earlier than traditional tools.
• Primary care validation: studies with UMass Chan Medical School demonstrated that embedding digital assessments into routine practice improved detection of mild cognitive impairment, streamlined referrals, and supported earlier interventions.
• Person-centered assessment approaches: ongoing research emphasizes integrating patient priorities and lived experiences to ensure culturally relevant and individualized care.

"Flip the Script"

“Early detection is vital for improving outcomes in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia—and it is also key to sustaining the healthcare system’s ability to meet demand,” David Bates, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Linus Health, said. “Our latest innovations, from remote assessment delivery to digital biomarkers and health plan integrations, are helping flip the script. By empowering family physicians with evidence-based tools, we are making proactive brain health part of everyday preventive care.”

Linus Health Showcases Role of Digital Tools and Biomarkers in Early Brain Health Detection at AAFP's FMX 2025. News release. Linus Health. October 2, 2025. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://linushealth.com/press-releases/linus-health-showcases-early-brain-health-detection-at-aafps-fmx-2025