The Temporal Investigation of Multimodal Elements (TIME) Study: Protocol for an observational, longitudinal study to characterize the dynamic structure of molecular and digital data in healthy older adults
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Background
Biological systems exhibit dynamic patterns over multiple temporal scales—from minutes to months—that are poorly captured by conventional cross-sectional or low-frequency longitudinal studies. These patterns, including circadian and ultradian rhythms, may be critical determinants of health, resilience, and disease risk in aging. Existing longitudinal studies in older adults lack high-frequency, multimodal measurements that integrate molecular, physiological, and digital health data streams.
Objectives
The TIME Study aims to: (i) Characterize temporal patterns in molecular, physiological, and digital health measures in healthy older adults; (ii) determine how these patterns vary across biological domains and relate to each other; and (iii) assess how physiological systems respond to defined perturbations (oral glucose tolerance and maximal exercise).
Methods
TIME is a single-site, observational, longitudinal study enrolling up to 150 adults aged ≥ 55 years. Over an 11-week main phase, participants complete seven weekly low-frequency visits, two perturbation challenge visits, and two, two-day high-frequency sampling epochs. Biospecimens, clinical measures, cognitive and physical performance tests, and continuous digital health data are collected. Follow-up visits occur at 6 and 12 months.
Expected Impact
By integrating multimodal, temporally resolved data, TIME will provide a foundational dataset for understanding the role of biological rhythms in aging and inform future precision health strategies.
