Computerized testing augments pencil-and-paper tasks in measuring HIV-associated mild cognitive impairment*
HIV Medicine. 2011-03-13; 12(8): 472-480
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2010.00910.x
Lire sur PubMed
Koski L(1), Brouillette MJ, Lalonde R, Hello B, Wong E, Tsuchida A, Fellows L.
Author information:
(1)The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal,
Quebec.
BACKGROUND: Existing tools for rapid cognitive assessment in HIV-positive
individuals with mild cognitive deficits lack sensitivity or do not meet
psychometric requirements for tracking changes in cognitive ability over time.
METHODS: Seventy-five nondemented HIV-positive patients were evaluated with the
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a brief battery of standardized
neuropsychological tests, and computerized tasks evaluating frontal-executive
function and processing speed. Rasch analyses were applied to the MoCA data set
and subsequently to the full set of data from all tests.
RESULTS: The MoCA was found to adequately measure cognitive ability as a single,
global construct in this HIV-positive cohort, although it showed poorer
precision for measuring patients of higher ability. Combining the additional
tests with the MoCA resulted in a battery with better psychometric properties
that also better targeted the range of abilities in this cohort.
CONCLUSION: This application of modern test development techniques shows a path
towards a quick, quantitative, global approach to cognitive assessment with
promise both for initial detection and for longitudinal follow-up of cognitive
impairment in patients with HIV infection.
© 2011 British HIV Association.