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Preliminary Findings from TAP-HD: Digital Tracking for Huntington’s

  • Alex Lou
  • 6 days ago
  • 2 min read


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We’re pleased to share that preliminary results from the TAP-HD study—an innovative digital tracking initiative in Huntington’s disease (HD)—were published on 9 September 2024 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (BMJ Group) under the title TAP-HD: A digital tracking study to explore fine motor and eye movements in Huntington’s disease – preliminary findings.

 

Understanding the TAP‑HD Study


Although Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD) are distinct neurological disorders, both use motor assessment as a standard part of diagnosis. A common tool is the finger-tapping test—where clinicians assess movement patterns to identify hallmark symptoms. In PD, they look for bradykinesia (slowness of movement), while in HD, they observe chorea (involuntary, jerky movements) that can disrupt rhythmic tapping.


For more on how finger-tapping patterns differ between PD and HD, see our previous blog: How Finger Tapping Reveals Differences Between Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease.)

 

Digital health technologies such as ClearSky’s PD-Monitor have already proven effective in PD by delivering objective, repeatable measurements of motor performance. Building on this success, researchers at the CHDI Foundation—a global non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing HD research—saw an opportunity to apply similar approach to HD.

 

The TAP-HD study used digital motor and eye movement tracking to capture subtle changes in how individuals with HD move and respond. These digital metrics were compared with standard clinical assessments, aiming to provide a richer, more objective picture of functional changes—especially those that might not be visible in traditional in-person exams.

 

Study Design and Data Collected


TAP-HD was conducted during a Huntington’s Disease family convention in 2023 and involved 205 participants aged 18–80, including:

  • People with HD (PwHD)

  • Individuals at risk for HD

  • Healthy control participants


Data collected included:

  • Fine motor and eye movement measures correlated with clinician-rated UHDRS® scores

  • Health status and functional ability

  • Out-of-pocket healthcare costs

  • Blood samples for neurofilament light (NfL), a biomarker of neurodegeneration

 

Early Takeaways and Potential Impact


Although detailed results—covering speed, amplitude, frequency, and other fine-motor metrics—are still under analysis, TAP-HD has already shown that high-quality neurological data can be collected in non-clinical, community settings.


For neurology researchers, clinical trial sponsors, and healthcare providers, this means digital technologies could:

  • Expand access to specialist-level assessments for patients far from HD centres

  • Enhance endpoint development in HD clinical trials through precise, objective tracking of motor changes

 

ClearSky’s Role: Enabling Digital Biomarkers Across Neurological Diseases


ClearSky is proud to have contributed digital tracking technology to this study. Our involvement in TAP‑HD is a strong validation of the versatility of our AI-driven technology platform—originally developed for Parkinson’s disease, now successfully adapted to support research in Huntington’s disease.


This study reinforces ClearSky’s belief that AI-powered digital biomarkers can play a transformative role in the early detection, monitoring, and clinical trial optimisation for a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases.


As TAP‑HD moves into further stages and additional data becomes available, ClearSky remains committed to enabling smarter, more scalable tools to support patients, clinicians, and researchers alike.



#CHDI_Huntington’s research

#Huntington’s_disease_digital_biomarkers


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