Web-based cognitive screening in bipolar disorder: validation of the Internet-based Cognitive Assessment Tool in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Digital Health

Background:

• Cognitive impairments are common in bipolar disorder (BD) patients even during remission.
• Traditional cognitive screening tools are often time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Digital, web-based tools can improve the detection and monitoring of cognitive deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Internet-based Cognitive Assessment Tool (ICAT).
• To assess the feasibility of self-administering ICAT in home-based settings for remitted BD patients.
• To compare ICAT performance with a standard in-clinic cognitive assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 31 remitted BD outpatients and 29 healthy controls (HC).
• Participants completed the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) in-clinic and ICAT at-home.
• Psychometric properties, including concurrent validity, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A strong positive correlation was found between at-home ICAT and in-clinic SCIP total scores in BD patients (r=0.66, p<0.001).
• Moderate correlations were observed between ICAT and SCIP subtest scores across the sample (r=0.29-0.61, p≤0.03), excluding executive functions.
• No significant performance differences were found between BD patients and HC on either tool.

Conclusions:

• ICAT is a valid and feasible online tool for remote cognitive screening in remitted BD patients.
• Web-based screening offers an accessible and efficient approach for systematic cognitive assessment in BD.
• ICAT facilitates early detection and monitoring of cognitive impairments in BD.