Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2026
Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
Validation of a touchscreen assessment tool to screen for cognitive delay at 24 months
Tríona Casey1,2, Aoife Jones Thachuthara1,2, Leanna Fogarty1,2
1The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Insights
A 15-minute touchscreen tool effectively screens for mild cognitive delay in 24-month-old children. This language-free assessment shows promise for early identification of developmental differences.
Area of Science:
- Developmental pediatrics
- Cognitive assessment
- Early childhood development
Background:
- Early identification of cognitive delays is crucial for timely intervention.
- Existing screening tools may have limitations in accessibility or language dependence.
- Validating new, accessible screening methods is essential for pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a novel touchscreen assessment for screening mild cognitive delay.
- To assess the tool's efficacy in typically developing children at 24 months of age.
- To determine the concurrent validity and diagnostic accuracy of the touchscreen tool.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of the Cork Nutrition & Microbiome Maternal-Infant Cohort Study (COMBINE) data.
- Inclusion of 101 typically developing children aged 24 months.
- Comparison of a language-free touchscreen tool (Babyscreen) with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition cognitive composite score.
Main Results:
- Moderate concurrent validity was found between Babyscreen scores and cognitive composite scores (r=0.358, p<0.001).
- Children with mild cognitive delay (cognitive score <90) had significantly lower Babyscreen scores (p=0.001).
- The Babyscreen demonstrated good predictive ability (AUC=0.75, p=0.006) and high specificity (93%) for identifying mild cognitive delay.
Conclusions:
- The 15-minute, language-free touchscreen tool (Babyscreen) can reasonably identify mild cognitive delay in 24-month-old children.
- This tool offers a promising, accessible method for early cognitive screening.
- Further research can explore its utility in diverse pediatric populations.
Aim:
To validate a touchscreen assessment as a screening tool for mild cognitive delay in typically developing children aged 24 months.
Method:
Secondary analysis of data was completed from an observational birth cohort study (The Cork Nutrition & Microbiome Maternal-Infant Cohort Study [COMBINE]), with children born between 2015 and 2017. Outcome data were collected at 24 months of age, at the INFANT Research Centre, Ireland. Outcomes were the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition cognitive composite score and a language-free, touchscreen-based cognitive measure (Babyscreen).
Results:
A total of 101 children (47 females, 54 males) aged 24 months (mean = 24.25, SD = 0.22) were included. Cognitive composite scores correlated with the total number of Babyscreen tasks completed, with moderate concurrent validity (r = 0.358, p < 0.001). Children with cognitive composite scores lower than 90 (1 SD below the mean, defined as mild cognitive delay) had lower mean Babyscreen scores than those with cognitive scores equal to or greater than 90 (8.50 [SD = 4.89] vs 12.61 [SD = 3.68], p = 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction of a cognitive composite score less than 90 was 0.75 (95% confidence interval = 0.59-0.91; p = 0.006). Babyscreen scores less than 7 were equivalent to less than the 10th centile and identified children with mild cognitive delay with 50% sensitivity and 93% specificity.
Interpretation:
Our 15-minute, language-free touchscreen tool could reasonably identify mild cognitive delay among typically developing children.
