PsyCog: A computerised mini battery for assessing cognition in psychosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Cognitive deficits significantly impact individuals with psychosis.
• Traditional cognitive assessments are time-consuming and require specialized administrators, hindering routine clinical use.
• Brief, automated computerized assessments offer a potential solution for objective cognitive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate PsyCog, a computerized, non-verbal mini-battery of cognitive tests.
• To assess the feasibility and utility of PsyCog for cognitive function evaluation in psychosis.

Main Methods:

• A multi-center prospective study involving Healthy Controls (HC), Clinical High Risk (CHR), and First Episode Psychosis (FEP) participants.
• Participants (N=135 HC, N=233 CHR, N=301 FEP) were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months using PsyCog.
• PsyCog testing time averaged 35.95 minutes, with good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.82-0.89).

Main Results:

• Significant medium to large effect sizes for cognitive performance impairments were observed in FEP patients compared to HCs (composite G = 1.21).
• Small to medium effect sizes were found in CHR patients (composite G = 0.59).
• Minimal site effects were noted, but practice effects and variations in data completion between groups were identified.

Conclusions:

• The implemented PsyCog is a valuable tool for assessing cognitive function in psychosis.
• Computerized cognitive assessments can facilitate cognitive evaluation in both research and clinical settings for psychosis.
• Careful consideration of implementation and study design is necessary for optimal use of computerized cognitive tools.