Recommended best practices for construct-centered adaptation of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Cognitive assessment tools like the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) require adaptation for diverse cultural and contextual settings to ensure accurate cross-national research.
• Factors such as education, language, and culture significantly impact cognitive test performance, necessitating careful adaptation of assessment protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide methodological recommendations for adapting and implementing the HCAP and similar cognitive assessment tools in new international settings.
• To ensure the local validity and cross-national harmonization of cognitive data for aging and dementia research.

Main Methods:

• Drawing upon existing cross-cultural test adaptation guidelines (e.g., International Test Commission) and cross-cultural survey guidelines.
• Incorporating practical experience from adapting and harmonizing the HCAP across 10 countries with older populations.

Main Results:

• Developed a phased approach for HCAP adaptation: preparation (local teams, resources), implementation (expert-guided, construct-centered), pre-testing (iterative, mixed-methods), and field preparation (training, quality assurance).
• Highlighted the importance of balancing local validity needs with the requirements for cross-national data harmonization.

Conclusions:

• Effective adaptation of the HCAP involves specific considerations to maintain both local relevance and international comparability.
• Implementing shared best practices for HCAP adaptation will enhance the quality of data collection, harmonization, analysis, and inferences in global cognitive aging and dementia studies.
• The HCAP serves as a valuable model for harmonized data collection to advance understanding of cognitive aging and dementia worldwide.