Screening executive function and global cognition with the Nine-Card Sorting Test: healthy participant studies and...

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Science
• Gerontology

Background:

• The Nine-Card Sorting Test is a validated tool for assessing executive function, intelligence, and academic achievement.
• It aids in detecting cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults, tracking disease progression, and evaluating treatment efficacy.
• The test examines non-verbal sorting principles individually and in pairs to explore risks in processing visual-logical stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Nine-Card Sorting Test performance in a non-clinical population.
• To investigate the impact of demographic factors, specifically age and education, on test results.
• To establish appropriate cut-off scores for identifying potential cognitive deficits.

Main Methods:

• Performance on the Nine-Card Sorting Test was analyzed in a non-clinical sample.
• The study assessed combinations in pairs (double arrays), with scores ranging from 0 to 3.
• Demographic variables, including age and education level, were correlated with test performance.

Main Results:

• Age and education level significantly affected Nine-Card Sorting Test scores, but no interactions between demographic variables were found.
• No significant differences were observed between individuals with secondary and tertiary education levels, or between males and females.
• Specific median cut-off scores were identified: 2 for individuals under 45, 1 for those over 74, and age-dependent scores (1 or 2) for the 45-74 age group based on education.

Conclusions:

• The Nine-Card Sorting Test serves as a categorical screening tool for executive function and global cognition, valuable for risk assessment.
• A score of 1 (the 25th percentile) effectively indicates potential deficits across the entire sample.
• The findings highlight the impact of aging on cognitive performance and the test's utility in studying visuospatial organization mechanisms.