Self-Administered Screening for Mild Cognitive Impairment: Initial Validation of a Computerized Test Battery

• Published in: The journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 98 - 105
• Main Authors: Tornatore, Jane B, Hill, Emory, Laboff, Jo Anne, McGann, Mary E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychiatric Publishing 2005; American Psychiatric Press; American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cognition. Intelligence; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted - methods; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted - statistics & numerical data; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Intellectual and cognitive abilities; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self Care - methods; Self Care - psychology; Self Care - statistics & numerical data; Human; Memory disorder; Nervous system diseases; Senescence; Alzheimer disease; Neuropsychological test; Cerebral disorder; Validity; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Developmental stage; mild cognitive impairment; Reliability; Computer aid
• ISSN: 0895-0172; 1545-7222
• DOI: 10.1176/jnp.17.1.98

The Computer-Administered Neuropsychological Screen for Mild Cognitive Impairment (CANS-MCI), a computer administered, scored, and interpreted touch screen battery was evaluated for its ability to detect mild cognitive impairment. Subjects were three hundred ten community-dwelling elders who enrolled in an National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded study. One-month test-retest reliability correlations were all significant (p<0.05-p<0.001). Concurrent validity correlations were all significant (p<0.001). A high level of diagnostic validity was attained relative to the Weschler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) LMS-II test (p<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor model indicating the tests measure the intended cognitive dimensions of memory, language spatial fluency, and executive function mental control. Goodness-of-fit indicators were strong (Bentler Comparative Fit Index = 0.99; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation=0.055). Initial validation analyses indicate that the CANS-MCI shows promise of being a reliable, valid screening tool in determining whether more intensive testing for early cognitive impairment is warranted.