Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 4, 2025
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Published on: June 30, 2014
Reliability, construct and concurrent validity of a smartphone-based cognition test in multiple sclerosis
K H Lam1, P van Oirschot2, B den Teuling2
1Department of Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Background:
Early detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) may be enabled with smartphone-adapted tests that allow frequent measurements in the everyday environment.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the reliability, construct and concurrent validity of a smartphone-adapted Symbol Digit Modalities Test (sSDMT).
Methods:
During a 28-day follow-up, 102 patients with MS and 24 healthy controls (HC) used the MS sherpa® app to perform the sSDMT every 3 days on their own smartphone. Patients performed the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS at baseline. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients, ICC), construct validity (group analyses between cognitively impaired (CI), cognitively preserved (CP) and HC for differences) and concurrent validity (correlation coefficients) were assessed.
Results:
Patients with MS and HC completed an average of 23.2 (SD = 10.0) and 18.3 (SD = 10.2) sSDMT, respectively. sSDMT demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ICCs > 0.8) with a smallest detectable change of 7 points. sSDMT scores were different between CI patients, CP patients and HC (all ps < 0.05). sSDMT correlated modestly with the clinical SDMT (highest r = 0.690), verbal (highest r = 0.516) and visuospatial memory (highest r = 0.599).
Conclusion:
Self-administered smartphone-adapted SDMT scores were reliable and different between patients who were CI, CP and HC and demonstrated concurrent validity in assessing information processing speed.
