Selph partners with Prema Cognition in new Cambridge-backed brain health research collaboration

Selph partners with Prema Cognition in new Cambridge-backed brain health research collaboration

‍

Health testing company Selph has partnered with cognitive testing company Prema Cognition and researchers at the University of Cambridge on a new study investigating how lifestyle choices may shape cognitive health and dementia risk.

‍

What the research is about:

‍

Research increasingly suggests that dementia is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. A substantial proportion of dementia cases may be preventable, with the 2024 Lancet Commission estimating that addressing key lifestyle factors could prevent or delay almost half of all dementia cases. While we increasingly understand which factors influence dementia risk, there is still a major gap between identifying those risks and knowing exactly what people should do about them. 

‍

Current recommendations are broad, with limited evidence on exactly which changes, and to what degree, can meaningfully affect an individual’s brain health. That’s what this study hopes to change. 

‍

How the study will work:

‍

The study will bring together Prema Cognition’s sensitive measurement of cognitive performance with Selph’s existing blood biomarker data and information on participants’ health and lifestyle, creating an anonymised longitudinal dataset spanning multiple dimensions of brain and overall health. 

‍

By tracking these measures together over time, researchers will be able to build a richer understanding of how factors such as sleep, exercise, nutrition, cardiovascular health and metabolic health relate to cognitive performance, and whether changes in these factors are reflected in changes in brain health over time. 

‍

Ultimately, the study aims to address an important question in dementia prevention: which health and lifestyle factors in early and midlife have the greatest potential to protect long-term cognitive health and reduce the risk of future cognitive decline?

‍

The study will recruit a minimum of 300 participants, creating a rich longitudinal dataset spanning cognition, lifestyle and objective health biomarkers. Anonymised data will be analysed by researchers at the University of Cambridge Memory Lab, under the supervision of Dr Helena Gellersen and Professor Jon Simons.

“At Selph, we’re on a mission to help people build a complete picture of their health and understand how to age well. Brain health is a hugely important part of how we age, and PREMAZ allows us to bring cognition into that picture for the first time. We’re hoping this research will help us pinpoint what is most likely to help you age well, so you can spend your precious free time doing what your body and mind need most” - Dr Claire Merrifield, Medical Director and Co-Founder of Selph 

‍

Using PREMAZ to measure memory:

‍

Prema Cognition is the company behind PREMAZ, a digital cognitive assessment built on more than a decade of research from the University of Cambridge. PREMAZ is designed to detect subtle changes in cognitive performance that can be missed by traditional cognitive tests.

‍

PREMAZ works using memory precision technology. While most memory tests measure whether someone remembers something correctly, PREMAZ goes a step further by measuring how precisely that memory is recalled. It looks not just at whether someone remembers, but how well they remember.

‍

Research from the Cambridge Memory Lab has shown that the quality and precision of memory can reveal subtle differences in cognitive performance that are not captured by traditional tests.

‍

This sensitivity is particularly important for this study, which will focus on healthy participants with no known cognitive impairment. Traditional cognitive tests are often not sensitive enough to detect small changes in performance within this population. By using PREMAZ repeatedly over time, researchers hope to detect subtle changes in memory and examine how they relate to changes in lifestyle and health biomarkers.

‍

“PREMAZ was designed to measure the subtle changes in memory that traditional cognitive tests can miss. This study gives us an exciting opportunity to understand what might be driving those changes.” - Dr Julia Cooney, Founder and CEO of Prema Cognition

‍

How to take part:

‍

The study will begin recruiting participants in September 2026, with cognitive and health data collected over the following 12 months. The research will focus on healthy adults in early and midlife who are interested in understanding and protecting their long-term brain health. Eligible Selph customers will receive an invitation to complete the complimentary PREMAZ assessment through their Selph account.

If you are interested in taking part or learning more about the study, please contact Selph directly at support@selph.co.uk for further information.

_______________________________________________

‍

About Selph: Selph is a family-run, doctor-led health company helping people take a proactive approach to their long-term health. Founded by husband-and-wife team Claire and Alasdair, both medical doctors with backgrounds in scientific research, Selph combines laboratory testing with clear, personalised medical guidance.. Covering areas including metabolic, gut and hormone health, Selph makes health information easier to understand and act on, supporting people with practical guidance and access to medical expertise.

‍

About Prema Cognition: Prema Cognition is the cognitive health company behind PREMAZ, a digital cognitive assessment developed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge Memory Lab. Built on more than a decade of Cambridge research, PREMAZ measures memory precision, a sensitive marker of subtle cognitive change, to support earlier detection and longitudinal monitoring of cognitive health. Founded by medical doctor Dr Julia Cooney, Prema Cognition translates cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience into a scalable platform for clinical and research use. PREMAZ supports clinics and research programs in the UK and US, providing a more sensitive and measurable approach to preventative brain health and cognitive research.

‍