Neuroscape and Samsung Partner to Study Cognitive Change Across the Lifespan
7/9/2026
An innovative new study from the Neuroscape research center at the University of California, San Francisco and consumer electronics giant Samsung seeks to understand decade-by-decade changes in brain health
The Neuroscape Technology for Aging Health – Digital Approaches (TAH-DA) longitudinal study, seeks to identify biometric predictors of cognitive decline over the course of a year, using Samsung wearable technology
Samsung fosters innovation and transformational health research in collaboration with leading institutions to explore new health technologies and novel perspectives approaches on wellness. The TAH-DA study is another example of Samsung’s work to understand the unique connection between the brain and wellness
The study is part of Samsung’s Open Innovation Initiative, a strategic program designed to accelerate innovation by collaborating with leading universities, hospitals, research institutions, and startups, to support the development of next-generation digital health solutions to enhance healthcare, deepen our understanding of the mind-body connection, maximize the wellness potential of personal devices, and support the development of cutting-edge technologies
The TAH-DA study began recruiting participants from across North America in early 2026, with a goal of enrolling 200 adults from each decade of life between the ages of 40 and 89. After enrolling in the study, participants receive Samsung’s Galaxy Watch to record for one year a suite of health metrics throughout the day and at night while they sleep, as well as Galaxy Tab A9 that participants will use to self-assess and train their cognitive control abilities
Galaxy Watch measures a comprehensive set of health metrics, including heart rate, ECG (electrocardiogram), blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, and body composition (BIA). 1,2,3,4 It also offers sleep and skin temperature tracking, 5 as well as daily activity tracking, such as step counts. This data will be used to develop unique insights and deployable algorithms to track and predict changes in brain health over time. Additionally, participants will engage in a series of surveys, digital cognitive assessments, and Neuroscape-developed digital interventions on a Samsung tablet.
“With this rich dataset, we will be able to determine which passive, biometric measures are associated with cognitive assessments, as well as test the effects of our evidence-based, digital interventions in boosting cognitive function in adults across their lifespans,” said Joaquin A. Anguera of Neuroscape. “Unlike traditional neuroscience studies, which often use highly controlled, simplified stimuli and static laboratory environments, modern approaches look to study human cognition in real-world contexts and in real-time.”
Mobile phones and wearables have become essential in daily life, capturing detailed information about users’ habits and behaviors. Device data captures subtle routine changes with remarkably high sensitivity. Recognizing this potential, researchers at Samsung and UCSF hope to develop digital biomarker technology designed to support tracking changes in cognitive function through this partnership
“We are thrilled to partner with Samsung on this research project, which combines its wearable technology and tablets with our software to study cognition in the real world,” said Adam Gazzaley, executive director of Neuroscape. “This academic-industry partnership is driving the most technologically ambitious remote trial we’ve ever attempted and will generate a unique perspective on human aging.”
How The Study Will Work
The remote study will use the Neuroscape-developed clinical trials platform, Nexus, which enables online deployment of all study-related activities, including enrollment, consent, diagnostic assessments, and digital interventions. The project will also include partnerships with Helpsquad (providing participants access to both an AI chatbot and a virtual assistant) and didit.me to assist with identification verification during the enrollment process
- Interested participants sign up on the study website: ucsf.edu/tahda-study.
- Once enrolled, researchers will randomly assign participants to either an intervention group or a control group and will send each participant Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Tab A9 Tab.
- Once received, tablet-based assessments and the intervention phase will begin. During this phase, participants will be required to engage in cognitively challenging games designed and developed at Neuroscape, which have already shown positive influences on cognitive abilities that diminish with age.
- Participants will also complete a set of custom-built digital cognitive assessments at three time points: before the study, after completion of the intervention, and nine months later.
“We are happy to have Neuroscape’s digital interventions combined with our technology to enhance the digital health ecosystem and create new approaches to well-being,” said Praveen Raja, Vice President of Digital Health Samsung Research America. “Using biometric data from our Galaxy Watch, we are excited to support the identification of behavioral and physiological predictors of cognitive decline, while looking toward digital interventions for improving cognition.”
“With this new study, we hope to raise the bar for remote trials,” said Theodore Zanto of Neuroscape. “Building off our past work, we continue to push the bounds of neurotechnology, looking to create neuroscience-based predictors of cognition across the adult lifespan, as well as new digital treatments.”
To learn more about the TAHDA study, go to: neuroscape.ucsf.edu/tahda-study
1 Samsung Health features are for wellness only, not for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. If you’re concerned about your health, be sure to see a medical professional. Available on Android phones (Android 10 or above) and requires the Samsung Health app v7.0 and compatible Galaxy watch with OneUI9. Samsung account login required.
2 The blood pressure function is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease. Consult your physician if you have any questions or concerns about your medical condition or treatment.
3 The ECG Monitor App intended for adults 22 years and older analyzes pulse rate data to identify episodes of irregular heart rhythms suggestive of AFib and provides a notification suggesting the user record an ECG to analyze the heart rhythm. The ECG Monitor App is not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment. The ECG app is not intended for users with known arrhythmias other than AFib or users under 22 years old. Users should not interpret or take clinical action based on the device output without consultation of a qualified healthcare professional.
4 The Samsung BIA is a body analyzer that uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology to track body composition based on weight, body fat, body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle, body water, and basal metabolic rate (BMR) measurements. It is not intended to specifically diagnose or treat a medical condition.
5 Skin temperature tracking is supported on the Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, Watch 6, Watch 6 Classic, Watch 7, Watch FE, and Watch Ultra.
Tags
Galaxy, Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Watch, Medical, Mobile, Praveen Raja
