Remote assessment of the Penn computerised neurocognitive battery in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
L K White, N Hillman, K Ruparel and 15 others
PMID 38229473WHAT IT FOUND
Remote cognitive testing for people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome yielded accuracy scores identical to in-person testing.
Speed scores were slightly slower remotely on three specific tasks, but this did not compromise the overall validity of the battery for assessing multiple cognitive domains.
Key findings
01Accuracy scores on the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery showed no significant difference between participants tested in-person and those tested remotely.
02Participants performed significantly slower on three specific tasks (Age Differentiation, Non-verbal Reasoning, and Spatial Processing) when tested remotely compared to in-person.
03The study supports the use of the remote battery for individuals with 22q11.2DS, provided they have an estimated IQ above 70.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Participants with an IQ below 70 were excluded, so the results do not apply to individuals with more significant intellectual disabilities. The study compared two different groups of people (in-person vs. remote) rather than having the same individuals perform both, which means group differences in demographics could theoretically influence results, although the authors controlled for this. The remote group tended to be older and have more prior experience with the test than the in-person group. The battery may lack sensitivity to detect subtle performance differences in this population because baseline cognitive abilities are already lower than in healthy controls.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest or funding sources that influenced the study design or reporting.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume remote testing is equivalent for all cognitive domains or all patients. The study only supports this for individuals with an IQ above 70, and speed scores were significantly slower remotely on three specific tasks, so remote speed results should not be directly compared to in-person norms without adjustment.