Test-retest reliability and practice effects for the ANAM General Neuropsychological Screening battery

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychometrics
• Cognitive Assessment

Background:

• Computer-based neurocognitive assessments are increasingly utilized.
• Systematic evaluation of psychometric properties is crucial for these tools.
• The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics General Neuropsychological Screening (ANAM GNS) battery is a widely used tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the test-retest reliability of the ANAM GNS.
• To investigate practice effects associated with repeated ANAM GNS administration.
• To establish reliable change indices for the ANAM GNS.

Main Methods:

• Administered the ANAM GNS to 94 community-dwelling adults.
• Repeated the ANAM GNS using an alternate form after 30 days.
• Calculated test-retest reliability, practice effects, and standard error of measurement.

Main Results:

• Achieved a test-retest reliability of .91 for the ANAM composite score.
• Observed significant performance improvement upon retest, but with a small effect size indicating minimal practice effects.
• Determined a reliable change index of .9 standard deviations (z-score) for 90% certainty.

Conclusions:

• The ANAM GNS demonstrates excellent test-retest reliability at a 30-day interval.
• Small practice effects are expected, but do not significantly impact reliability.
• The ANAM GNS is a reliable measure of cognition, with changes >.9 SD likely representing meaningful clinical differences.