Neurodevelopmental Assessment at 2 Years: Feasibility and Validity of Remote Touch Screen-Based Assessment

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Developmental psychology
• Digital health

Background:

• Remote assessment tools are increasingly important for pediatric health monitoring.
• Evaluating novel digital health applications for cognitive function is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and validity of CogniTOT, a tablet-based application for remote cognitive function assessment in children.
• To identify factors affecting successful completion of remote cognitive assessments.

Main Methods:

• A follow-up study included preterm infants assessed with CogniTOT at 2 years corrected age.
• Parents also completed the Non-Verbal Cognitive Scale (NVC) of the Parent Report of Children's Abilities Revised (PARCA-R).
• Construct validity was examined by comparing preterm infants with term-born controls; concurrent validity was assessed against NVC PARCA-R scores.

Main Results:

• Thirty-two preterm children and 12 term-born children completed the CogniTOT assessment.
• Frequent technical and interpersonal difficulties were reported during completion.
• No significant correlation was found between CogniTOT scores and NVC PARCA-R scores (r=0.079, p=0.65).
• A moderate correlation was observed between NVC PARCA-R and Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) scores (r=0.535, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Tablet-based remote cognitive assessment presents significant feasibility challenges.
• Current remote assessment tools like CogniTOT do not correlate with established parental reports.
• Future technical advancements may enable large-scale remote cognitive assessments.