Neuropsychological Test Administration by Videoconference: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Neurocognitive testing is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring neurological and psychiatric conditions.
• Traditional on-site administration of these tests can present accessibility and logistical challenges.
• Videoconferencing offers a potential solution for remote neurocognitive assessments, but its validity needs evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of videoconference administration on adult neurocognitive tests.
• To compare scores from videoconference administrations with traditional on-site administrations.
• To identify factors influencing the reliability of remote neurocognitive testing.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Inclusion of twelve counterbalanced crossover studies involving healthy adults and those with cognitive or psychiatric disorders.
• Analysis of data from participants aged 34 to 88 years, considering network speed and task type.

Main Results:

• Heterogeneous data generally precluded a single summary effect, but consistent performance was observed in studies with participants aged 65-75 and high-speed internet.
• Untimed tasks and those allowing repetition showed minimal differences (1/10th SD below on-site).
• Verbally-mediated tasks (e.g., digit span, verbal fluency) and the Boston Naming Test were largely unaffected; motor-dependent tasks showed significant variability.

Conclusions:

• Videoconference administration is supported for verbally-mediated and visually-dependent neurocognitive tasks by qualified professionals using established norms.
• Older participants and slower internet connections introduce variability, necessitating further investigation into motor-dependent tasks.
• Development of clinical best practices and supportive reimbursement structures for remote neurocognitive assessments is recommended to enhance access and convenience.