Title : Standardization of the cognitive reaction test: Verification of its reliability and utility in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
Abstract:
Introduction: Early diagnosis of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is essential to initiate early treatments that may slow their progression towards dementia. Because accurate biological and imaging markers are not accessible to all healthcare systems, neuropsychological clinical assessment assumes a leading role as the first approach to the target subject. We present the Cognitive Reaction Test (CRT), a computerized personal development test, which evaluates learning ability, executive control, attention, and speed of information processing, dimensions initially affected in subjects with DCM.
Objectives: To standardize and establish the power of CRT for differentiation of MCI from normal controls.
Patients and Methods: CRT was administered to 100 healthy subjects and to 100 patients with MCI with age between 50 and 80 years. They were evaluated with the combination of scales, batteries, and standardized tests (Mini-Mental State Examination, ADAS Memory Sub-test, Trail Making Test A and B, and Hughe’s CDR Score).
Results: The results of the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test supported the power of CRT in differentiating healthy controls and MCI patients. The normative values of the CRT are presented.
Conclusions: We report a new standardized test designed to differentiate MCI patients from normal subjects. The tasks that structure the CRT give reaction times and errors, and correspond to a reliable test since they can differentiate MCI from normal controls.
