A Preliminary Validity Study of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery for the Assessment of Executive Function in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVE: Although the executive function subtests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) have been used to assess cognitive function in diverse psychiatric illnesses, few studies have verified the validity of this battery for Korean psychiatric patients. Therefore, this preliminary study evaluated the construct and concurrent validity of the executive function subtests of the CANTAB for Korean psychiatric patients by comparing it with subtests of the Computerized Neuropsychological Test (CNT). METHODS: Three subtests of the CANTAB and three subtests of the CNT were administered to 36 patients diagnosed with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Subtests of the CANTAB included the Intra/Extra-Dimensional Set Shift (IED), Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), and Spatial Working Memory (SWM). Differences between groups on each subtest as well as correlations between the subtests of the CANTAB and the CNT were assessed. RESULTS: The schizophrenia group performed significantly more poorly on the IED and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) compared with the bipolar disorder group. Additionally, correlation analyses revealed a significant correlation between the IED and the WCST; a positive correlation between the SOC and the Trail Making Test, Part B and the Stroop test; and a significant correlation between the SWM and the Stroop test. CONCLUSION: This study verified the construct and concurrent validity of the executive function subtests of the CANTAB for Korean psychiatric patients and suggests that the subtests of this battery would be useful and appropriate for assessing deficits in executive function in Korean clinical settings.

A Preliminary Comparative Study of Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and Computerized Neuropsychological Test in Patients with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of attention and memory subtests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) through their correlations with the subtests of the Computerized Neuropsychological Test (CNT). METHODS: Three subtests of the CANTAB and three subtests of the CNT assessing attention and memory functions were administered to 33 inpatients and outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The subtests of the CANTAB include Rapid Visual information Processing (RVP), Spatial SPan (SSP), and Pattern Recognition Memory (PRM). This study investigated the differences of each subtest score between the two patient groups and the correlations between subtest scores of the CANTAB and CNT that were related to attention and memory functions. RESULTS: Significant difference in the two groups was found only in the Verbal Learning Test (VLT) of the CNT. In both groups, the PRM subtest of the CANTAB showed significant correlation with the VST and the VLT of the CNT. Also, the SSP subtest of the CANTAB and the VST of the CNT showed significant positive correlation. In addition, the RVP subtest of the CANTAB and the visual continuous performance test of the CNT, which measure the sustained attention in common, showed significant correlation. CONCLUSION: The concurrent validity of the attention and memory subtests of the CANTAB for patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder was verified. Results of this study suggest that the CANTAB would be widely used for assessment of neuro-cognitive impairments of patients with psychiatric disorders.

Characteristics of Computerized Neuropsychologic Test According to the Location of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate characteristics of cognitive impairments according to the location of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using a computerized neuropsychological test (CNT). METHOD: A total of 211 patients were transferred to our rehabilitation department after becoming neurologically stable following aneurysmal SAH. Twenty four of the 211 patients met the inclusion criteria and participated in a screening test using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Twenty patients with a MMSE score <26 were followed prospectively with a CNT and Beck depression inventory (BDI). Eleven patients had anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms and the other 9 had middle cerebral, internal carotid or posterior communicating artery aneurysms. RESULTS: There were no differences in age, education, Hunt and Hess grade, or Fisher grade between the patients with ACoA aneurysmal SAH compared to patients with other aneurysmal SAH. In patients with ACoA aneurysmal SAH, scores of BDI (p=0.020), verbal learning test were lower than those of other aneurysmal SAH patients. In contrast, patients with non-ACoA aneurysmal SAH took significantly more time in auditory (p=0.025) and visual continuous performance tests (p=0.028). The cognitive deficit following aneurysmal SAH could be characterized by its location using CNT. CONCLUSION: Using CNT in aneurysmal SAH patients could be a useful tool for evaluating the characteristics of cognitive impairment and planning rehabilitation programs according to each characteristic.

Cognitive Assessment for Patient with Brain Injury by Computerized Neuropsychological Test

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to define the usefulness of the computerized neuropsychological test (CNT) for evaluation of cognitive deficit in the patients with brain injury. METHOD: Twenty five subjects with brain injury (16 males, 9 females) were enrolled. Their mean age was 39.2 years. All patient were assessed their cognitive function using CNT. The CNT consisted of digit span, verbal learning test, visual span test, visual learning test, auditory continuous performance test, auditory controlled continuous performance test, visual continuous performance test, visual controlled continuous performance test, word-color test, hypothesis formation test and trail making test. Scores of each subtest on CNT analysed according to the brain lesion and involved hemisphere of the patients. RESULTS: In patients with left hemisphere lesion, scores in digit span and verbal-learning test were lower than that of right side lesion (p<0.05). In contrast, patients with right hemisphere lesion showed significantly lower scores in visual span and visual-learning test (p<0.05). The patients with frontal lobe lesion marked lower scores in verbal-learning and word-color test than the patients without frontal lesion (p<0.01). Whereas the patients with parietal lobe lesion showed significantly lower scores in visual learning test (p<0.05) than the patients without parietal lesion. CONCLUSION: The cognitive deficit following the brain lesion could be characterized using CNT. CNT is considered to be used as a useful tool in the patients with brain injury for the assessment of their cognitive function.