Psychometrics and diagnostics of Italian cognitive screening tests: a systematic review

Psychometrics and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients

BACKGROUND

Verbal fluency (VF) tasks are known as suitable for detecting cognitive impairment (CI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study thus aimed to evaluate the psychometrics and diagnostics of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) by Costa et al. (2014) in an Italian cohort of non-demented PD patients, as well as to derive disease-specific cut-offs for it.

METHODS

N = 192 non-demented PD patients were screened with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and underwent the AVFB-which includes phonemic, semantic and alternate VF tests (PVF; SVF; AVF), as well as a Composite Shifting Index (CSI) reflecting the "cost" of shifting from a single- to a double-cued VF task. Construct validity and diagnostics were assessed for each AVFB measure against the MoCA. Internal reliability and factorial validity were also tested.

RESULTS

The MoCA proved to be strongly associated with PVF, SVF and AVF scores, whilst moderately with the CSI. The AVFB was internally consistent and underpinned by a single component; however, an improvement in both internal reliability and fit to its factorial structure was observed when dropping the CSI. Demographically adjusted scores on PVF, SVF and AVF tests were diagnostically sound in detecting MoCA-defined cognitive impairment, whilst this was not true for the CSI. Disease-specific cut-offs for PVF, SVF and AVF tests were derived.

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, PVF, SVF and AVF tests are reliable, valid and diagnostically sound instruments to detect cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients and are therefore recommended for use in clinical practice and research.

Ecological validity of performance-based cognitive screeners in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: preliminary evidence

BACKGROUND

This study aimed at preliminarily assessing, in a cohort of non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, the ecological validity, and more specifically the veridicality, of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS) and the ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS™), by relating their scores to caregiver-report ratings of cognitive changes.

METHODS

N = 147 patient-caregiver dyads were recruited. Patients were administered the ECAS and ALS-CBS™, whilst caregiver the Caregiver Behavioral Questionnaire (CBQ) and Beaumont Behavioural Inventory (BBI). An Ecological Cognitive Functioning Index (ECFI) was derived from those items of the CBQ and BBI that tap on executive and language changes. Ecological validity was assessed via both correlational and predictive analyses net of caregiver-rated behavioural changes (as assessed by the ECAS-Carer Interview).

RESULTS

The ECFI was associated with the total scores on both the ECAS (p = .014) and ALS-CBS™ (p = .017). When looking at ECAS and ALS-CBS™ subscales, those assessing verbal fluency were selectively associated with the ECFI. The ECFI was higher in patients performing defectively on the ECAS (p = .004) and on the ALS-CBS™ (p = .027).

DISCUSSION

This study suggests that both the ECAS and the ALS-CBS™ represent a valid estimate of non-demented ALS patients' cognitive status in the real world, also highlighting the clinical relevance of cognitive changes reported by caregivers.

The Telephone Language Screener (TLS): standardization of a novel telephone-based screening test for language impairment

BACKGROUND

This study aimed at developing and standardizing the Telephone Language Screener (TLS), a novel, disease-nonspecific, telephone-based screening test for language disorders.

METHODS

The TLS was developed in strict pursuance to the current psycholinguistic standards. It comprises nine tasks assessing phonological, lexical-semantic and morpho-syntactic components, as well as an extra Backward Digit Span task. The TLS was administered to 480 healthy participants (HPs), along with the Telephone-based Semantic Verbal Fluency (t-SVF) test and a Telephone-based Composite Language Index (TBCLI), as well as to 37 cerebrovascular/neurodegenerative patients-who also underwent the language subscale of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-L). An HP subsample was also administered an in-person language battery. Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability were tested. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. The capability of the TLS to discriminate patients from HPs and to identify, among the patient cohort, those with a defective TICS-L, was also examined.

RESULTS

The TLS was underpinned by a mono-component structure and converged with the t-SVF (p < .001), the TBCLI (p < .001) and the in-person language battery (p = .002). It was internally consistent (McDonald's ω = 0.67) and reliable between raters (ICC = 0.99) and at retest (ICC = 0.83). Age and education, but not sex, were predictors of TLS scores. The TLS optimally discriminated patients from HPs (AUC = 0.80) and successfully identified patients with an impaired TICS-L (AUC = 0.92). In patients, the TLS converged with TICS-L scores (p = 0.016).

DISCUSSION

The TLS is a valid, reliable, normed and clinically feasible telephone-based screener for language impairment.

Evidence of validity and reliability of the Colombian version of Addenbroke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R)

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence that supports the validity and reliability of the Colombian version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R) in comparison to the MMSE at assessing and finding patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Additionally, the study aims to determine the optimal cut-off scores based on the age of a population with a low education level.

METHOD

This study included 314 individuals (235 participants diagnosed with MCI and 79 cognitively healthy) who live in two different rural departments (states) in Colombia. The participants were recruited for this study through community clubs for the older adults. Most of the individuals were female (236), the average age was 65.95 years of age (SD= 7.8), and the average education level was of 3.78 years (SD = 1.79). It is important to note that the sample only included people with a maximum of 6 years of schooling.

RESULTS

A ROC analysis indicated that the ACE-R is more effective than the MMSE at evaluating and finding MCI individuals within the three groups. The cut-off points for the Under 60 years of age group was 83.50 (sensitivity 0.880% and specificity 0.632%); 61-69 years of age 80.50 (sensitivity 0.714% and specificity 0.677%); and Over 70 years of age was 79.50 (sensitivity 0.750% and specificity 0.659%). The internal consistency analysis with MacDonald's Ω determined reliability indicators ≥70 in the ACE-R, except for the age range of 61 to 69 years.

CONCLUSION

The Colombian version of the ACE-R demonstrates to be a valid and reliable global cognitive screening tool. It is effective at discerning MCI individuals from healthy within a group of participants with a low education level.

Validity, diagnostics and feasibility of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in Huntington's disease

BACKGROUND

This study is aimed at assessing the clinimetric properties and feasibility of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with Huntington's disease (HD).

METHODS

N = 39 motor-manifest HD patients, N = 74 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and N = 92 matched HCs were administered the MoCA. HD patients further underwent the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS), self-report questionnaires for anxiety and depression and a battery of first- and second-level cognitive tests. Construct validity was tested against cognitive and behavioural/psychiatric measures, whereas ecological validity against motor-functional subscales of the UHDRS. Sensitivity to disease severity was tested, via a logistic regression, by exploring whether the MoCA discriminated between patients in Shoulson-Fahn stage ≤ 2 vs. > 2. The same analysis was employed to test its ability to discriminate HD patients from HCs and PD patients.

RESULTS

The MoCA converged towards cognitive and behavioural measures but diverged from psychiatric ones, being also associated with motor/functional measures from the UHDRS. In identifying patients with cognitive impairment, adjusted MoCA scores were highly accurate (AUC = .92), yielding optimal diagnostics at the cut-off of < 19.945 (J = .78). The MoCA was able to discriminate patients in the middle-to-advanced from those in the early-to-middle stages of the disease (p = .037), as well as to differentiate HD patients from both HCs (p < .001) and PD patients (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The MoCA is a valid, diagnostically sound and feasible cognitive screener in motor-manifest HD patients, whose adoption is thus encouraged in clinical practice and research.

Clinimetrics of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in adult-onset idiopathic focal dystonia

This study aimed at assessing the clinimetrics of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in an Italian cohort of patients with adult-onset idiopathic focal dystonia (AOIFD). N = 86 AOIFD patients and N = 92 healthy controls (HCs) were administered the MoCA. Patients further underwent the Trail-Making Test (TMT) and Babcock Memory Test (BMT), being also screened via the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS). Factorial structure and internal consistency were assessed. Construct validity was tested against TMT, BMT, BDI-II and DAS scores, whilst diagnostics against the co-occurrence of a defective performance on at least one TMT measure and on the BMT. Case-control discrimination was examined. The association between MoCA scores and motor-functional measures was explored. The MoCA was underpinned by a mono-component structure and acceptably reliable at an internal level. It converged towards TMT and BMT scores, as well as with the DAS, whilst diverging from the BDI-II. Its adjusted scores accurately detected cognitive impairment (AUC = .86) at a cut-off of < 17.212. The MoCA discriminated patients from HCs (p < .001). Finally, it was unrelated to disease duration and severity, as well as to motor phenotypes. The Italian MoCA is a valid, diagnostically sound and feasible cognitive screener in AOIFD patients.

Tele-Global Examination of Mental State (Tele-GEMS): an open tool for the remote neuropsychological screening

Tele-neuropsychology, i.e., the application of remote audio-visual technologies to neuropsychological evaluation or rehabilitation, has become increasingly popular and widespread during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. New tools with updated normative data and appropriate methodological developments are necessary. We present Tele-GEMS, a telephone-based cognitive screening developed on N = 601 Italian participants. It yields a global score tapping on orientation, memory, spatial representation, language, and pragmatic abilities. Its administration lasts about 10 min. Clinical cut-offs are provided, accounting for demographic variables (age, education, and sex) and also for a comprehensive index taking into account cognitively stimulating life experiences that can build up a cognitive reserve. Tele-GEMS shows good internal consistency and a good inter-rater agreement. The test includes the thresholds for estimating a significant change after repeated measurements. Tele-GEMS has a good construct validity as assessed with MoCA and a suitable criterion validity assessed with its in-person version (GEMS). All the materials and the instructions, including scripts and an online Application for the automatic calculation of cut-offs, are accessible on OSF at https://osf.io/t3bma/ under a Creative Commons license.

Validity and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients

BACKGROUND

This study aimed at: (1) assessing, in an Italian cohort of non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, the construct validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) against both first- and second-level cognitive measures; (2) delivering an exhaustive and updated evaluation of its diagnostic properties.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of N = 237 non-demented PD patients having been administered the MoCA was addressed, of whom N = 169 further underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and N = 68 the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS). A subsample (N = 60) also underwent a second-level cognitive battery encompassing measures of attention/executive functioning, language, memory, praxis and visuo-spatial abilities. Construct validity was assessed against both the PD-CRS and the second-level cognitive battery. Diagnostics were tested via receiver-operating characteristics analyses against a below-cut-off MMSE score.

RESULTS

The MoCA was associated with both PD-CRS scores (p < .001) and the vast majority of second-level cognitive measures (ps < .003). Both raw and adjusted MoCA scores proved to be highly accurate to the aim of identifying patients with MMSE-confirmed cognitive dysfunctions. A MoCA score adjusted for age and education according to the most recent normative dataset and < 19.015 is herewith suggested as indexing cognitive impairment in this population (AUC = .92; sensitivity = .92; specificity = .80).

DISCUSSION

The Italian MoCA is a valid and diagnostically sound screener for global cognitive inefficiency in non-demented PD patients. Further studies are nevertheless needed that confirm its diagnostic values against a measure other than the MMSE.

Ecological Validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Non-Demented Parkinson's Disease Patients

BACKGROUND

The ecological validity of performance-based cognitive screeners needs to be tested in order for them to be fully recommended for use within clinical practice and research.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to examine, within an Italian cohort of non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, the ecological validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) by assessing its association with (1) functional independence (FI), (2) quality of life (QoL), and (3) behavioural-psychological (BP) outcomes.

METHODS

Seventy-four non-demented PD patients were administered the MoCA and underwent motor functional - i.e., Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Modified Hoehn-Yahr Scale (HY), and Schwab and England Scale (SES) -, behavioural and psychological - i.e., State- and Trait-Anxiety Inventory-Form Y (STAI-Y1/-Y2), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) - and QoL evaluations - i.e., MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Associations of interest against FI, QoL, and BP outcomes were tested via Bonferroni-corrected Pearson's/Spearman's correlations while covarying for demographics, disease duration as well as UPDRS-III, UPDRS-IV, and HY scores. Intake of psychotropic drugs was also covaried when assessing the association between the MoCA and BP/QoL measures.

RESULTS

MoCA scores were significantly associated with the SES (rs(73) = 0.34; p = 0.005) and the DAS-Executive (r(67) = -0.47; p < 0.001), while not to other FI/BP outcomes and QoL measures.

CONCLUSIONS

The MoCA is a valid estimate of daily life functional autonomy in non-demented PD patients, also reflecting apathetic features of a dysexecutive nature.

The Single-Matrix Digit Cancellation Test, a Screener for Selective Attention Deficits: Standardization in an Italian Population Sample and Clinical Usability in Acute Stroke Patients

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed at validating and providing Italian norms for the Single-Matrix Digit Cancellation Test (SMDCT), a cancellation task to screen for selective attention deficits, as well as providing clinical usability evidence for it in acute stroke patients.

METHODS

The SMDCT stimulus is a specular, 4-quadrant, horizontally oriented matrix, across which target distribution is homogeneous. Both accuracy (-A) and time (-T) outcomes were computed. N = 263 healthy participants (HPs) and N = 76 acute stroke patients were recruited. N = 108 HPs also underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and Trail-Making Test (TMT), while patients were further assessed by the Mental Performance in Acute Stroke (MEPS). Regression-based norms were derived (equivalent scores). Construct and factorial validity, as well as case-control discrimination, were tested.

RESULTS

The matrix was underpinned by a two-component structure reflecting left and right hits. The SMDCT-T and -A were associated with TMT and FAB scores, respectively. Education predicted the SMDCT-A/-T, whereas age predicted the SMDCT-T only. In patients, the SMDCT converged with the MEPS, also accurately discriminating them from HPs. An index of right-left difference differentiated right- from left-damaged patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The SMDCT is a valid and normed screener for selective attention deficits, encompassing measures of both accuracy and time, whose adoption is encouraged in acute stroke patients. Relatedly, the horizontal disposition of its matrix does allow for the qualitative report of either leftward of rightward biases due to underlying visual or attentional-representational deficits in this population.

Clinimetrics and feasibility of the Italian version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients

BACKGROUND

This study aimed at assessing the cross-sectional and longitudinal clinimetrics and feasibility of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

METHODS

N = 109 PD patients underwent the FAB and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A subsample of patients further underwent a thorough motor, functional and behavioral evaluation (the last including measures of anxiety, depression and apathy). A further subsample was administered a second-level cognitive battery tapping on attention, executive functioning, language, memory, praxis and visuo-spatial abilities. The following properties of the FAB were tested: (1) concurrent validity and diagnostics against the MoCA; (2) convergent validity against the second-level cognitive battery; (4) association with motor, functional and behavioral measures; (5) capability to discriminate patients from healthy controls (HCs; N = 96); (6) assessing its test-retest reliability, susceptibility to practice effects and predictive validity against the MoCA, as well as deriving reliable change indices (RCIs) for it, at a ≈ 6-month interval, within a subsample of patients (N = 33).

RESULTS

The FAB predicted MoCA scores at both T0 and T1, converged with the vast majority of second-level cognitive measures and was associated with functional independence and apathy. It accurately identified cognitive impairment (i.e., a below-cut-off MoCA score) in patients, also discriminating patients from HCs. The FAB was reliable at retest and free of practice effects; RCIs were derived according to a standardized regression-based approach.

DISCUSSION

The FAB is a clinimetrically sound and feasible screener for detecting dysexecutive-based cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients.

Clinimetrics of the cognitive section of the Italian ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS™)

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed at (1) providing further validity and reliability evidence for the Italian version of the cognitive section of the ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS™) and (2) testing its diagnostics within an Italian ALS cohort, as well as at (3) exploring its capability to discriminate patients from healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS

N = 293 non-demented ALS patients were administered the cognitive sections of the ALS-CBS™ and Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS). N = 96 HCs demographically matched with N = 96 patients were also administered the cognitive section of the ALS-CBS™. In patients, factorial and construct validity, internal reliability, and diagnostics against a defective score on the cognitive section of the ECAS were tested. Case-control discrimination was assessed via a logistic regression.

RESULTS

ALS-CBS™ cognitive subscales were underpinned by a simple, unidimensional structure, internally reliable (McDonald's ω = 0.74), and mostly related with ECAS executive and fluency scores (r_s = 0.54-0.71). Both raw and age- and education-adjusted scores on the cognitive section of the ALS-CBS™ accurately detected ECAS-defined cognitive impairment (AUC = 0.80 and .88, respectively), yielding optimal error-based, information-based and unitary diagnostics. A cut-off of < 15.374 was identified on adjusted scores. The test was able to discriminate patients from HCs (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

The cognitive section of the Italian ALS-CBS™ is a valid, reliable, and diagnostically sound ALS-specific screener for detecting frontotemporal, executive-/attentive-based cognitive inefficiency in non-demented ALS patients, being also able to discriminate them from normotypical individuals.

Optimal MoCA cutoffs for detecting biologically-defined patients with MCI and early dementia

OBJECTIVE

In this phase II psychometric study on the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), we tested the clinicometric properties of Italian norms for patients with mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI) and early dementia (PwD) and provided optimal cutoffs for diagnostic purposes.

METHODS

Retrospective data collection was performed for consecutive patients with clinically and biologically defined MCI and early dementia. Forty-five patients (24 PwMCI and 21 PwD) and 25 healthy controls were included. Raw MoCA scores were adjusted according to the conventional 1-point correction (Nasreddine) and Italian norms (Conti, Santangelo, Aiello). The diagnostic properties of the original cutoff (< 26) and normative cutoffs, namely, the upper limits (uLs) of equivalent scores (ES) 1, 2, and 3, were evaluated. ROC curve analysis was performed to obtain optimal cutoffs.

RESULTS

The original cutoff demonstrated high sensitivity (0.93 [95% CI 0.84-0.98]) but low specificity (0.44 [0.32-0.56]) in discriminating between patients and controls. Nominal normative cutoffs (ES0 uLs) showed excellent specificity (SP range = 0.96-1.00 [0.88-1.00]) but poor sensitivity (SE range = 0.09-0.24 [0.04-0.36]). The optimal cutoff for Nasreddine's method was 23.50 (SE = 0.82 [0.71-0.90]; SP = 0.72 [0.60-0.82]). Optimal cutoffs were 20.97, 22.85, and 22.29 (SE range = 0.69-0.73 [0.57-0.83], SP range = 0.88-0.92 [0.77-0.97]) for Conti's, Santangelo's, and Aiello's methods, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Using the 1-point correction, combined with a cutoff of 23.50, might be useful in ambulatory settings with a large turnout. Our optimal cutoffs can offset the poor sensitivity of Italian cutoffs.

The Semantic Association Test (SAT): normative data from healthy Italian participants and a validation study in aphasic patients

The Semantic Association Test assesses several aspects of Semantic Memory (Categorical, Encyclopedic, Functional, and Visual Encyclopedic associations: CAs, EAs, FAs and VEAs), using a picture-to-picture matching paradigm. Normative data were collected from a group of 329 healthy participants (178 females) with mean 51.1 (range 20-90) years of age and mean 11.89 (range 5-19) years of education. Raw scores of healthy participants, pre-calculated correction factors for age and educational level, and Equivalent Scores are provided. The SAT was validated in a sample of 139 left brain-damaged persons with aphasia (PWA). Both groups (healthy participants and PWA) scored worse in the CA and EA conditions. The performance of the PWA group was overall defective, and global aphasics scored worse than persons with other types of aphasia. However, several PWA did not show impairments in the SAT. Dissociations were also found, with individual PWA showing defective performance confined to a single category. These results present the SAT as a tool that is useful to detect impairments of visual Semantic Memory, providing normative data from healthy participants and a validation study in PWA.

Case report: Pragmatic impairment in multiple sclerosis after worsening of clinical symptoms

Pragmatics, defined as the ability to integrate language and context to communicate effectively, may be impaired in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We present the case of a patient with active secondary progressive MS who, after a first neuropsychological assessment that evidenced only a slight pragmatic impairment, suffered a sudden worsening of her clinical conditions, treated with corticosteroids. After this clinical worsening, her pragmatic abilities declined markedly, both in comprehension and production. This worsening was accompanied by a decline only in one attention task, in the context of an overall stable cognitive functioning. We conclude that pragmatics may be a domain particularly susceptible to cognitive worsening, highlighting the importance of its assessment in clinical practice.

Psychometrics, diagnostics and usability of Italian tools assessing behavioural and functional outcomes in neurological, geriatric and psychiatric disorders: a systematic review

Background

Psychometric instruments assessing behavioural and functional outcomes (BFIs) in neurological, geriatric and psychiatric populations are relevant towards diagnostics, prognosis and intervention. However, BFIs often happen not to meet methodological-statistical standards, thus lowering their level of recommendation in clinical practice and research. This work thus aimed at (1) providing an up-to-date compendium on psychometrics, diagnostics and usability of available Italian BFIs and (2) delivering evidence-based information on their level of recommendation.

Methods

This review was pre-registered (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021295430) and performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Several psychometric, diagnostic and usability measures were addressed as outcomes. Quality assessment was performed via an ad hoc checklist, the Behavioural and Functional Instrument Quality Assessment.

Results

Out of an initial N = 830 reports, 108 studies were included (N = 102 BFIs). Target constructs included behavioural/psychiatric symptoms, quality of life and physical functioning. BFIs were either self- or caregiver-/clinician-report. Studies in clinical conditions (including neurological, psychiatric and geriatric ones) were the most represented. Validity was investigated for 85 and reliability for 80 BFIs, respectively. Criterion and factorial validity testing were infrequent, whereas content and ecological validity and parallel forms were almost never addressed. Item response theory analyses were seldom carried out. Diagnostics and norms lacked for about one-third of BFIs. Information on administration time, ease of use and ceiling/floor effects were often unreported.

Discussion

Several available BFIs for the Italian population do not meet adequate statistical-methodological standards, this prompting a greater care from researchers involved in their development.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10072-022-06300-8.

The Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB): standardization and preliminary clinical usability evidence

Background

This study aimed at standardizing and providing preliminary evidence on the clinical usability of the Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB), which includes phonemic (t-PVF), semantic (t-SVF) and alternate (t-AVF) verbal fluency tasks.

Methods

Three-hundred and thirty-five Italian healthy participants (HPs; 140 males; age range = 18-96 years; education range = 4-23 years) and 27 individuals with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases were administered the t-VFB. Switch number and cluster size were computed via latent semantic analyses. HPs underwent the telephone-based Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Backward Digit Span (BDS). Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability and equivalence with the in-person Verbal Fluency tasks were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical populations was assessed.

Results

The majority of t-VFB scores correlated among each other and with the BDS, but not with the MMSE. Switch number correlated with t-PVF, t-SVF, t-AVF scores, whilst cluster size with the t-SVF and t-AVF scores only. The t-VFB was underpinned by a mono-component structure and was internally consistent (Cronbach's α = 0.91). Test-retest (ICC = 0.69-0.95) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98-1) were optimal. Each t-VFB test was statistically equivalent to its in-person version (equivalence bounds yielding a p < 0.05). Education predicted all t-VFB scores, whereas age t-SVF and t-AVF scores and sex only some t-SVF scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical samples was optimal (AUC = 0.81-0.86).

Discussion

The t-VFB is a valid, reliable and normed telephone-based assessment tool for language and executive functioning, equivalent to the in-person version; results show promising evidence of its diagnostic accuracy in neurological populations.

Trajectories of MMSE and MoCA scores across the healthy adult lifespan in the Italian population

Background

This study compares the performance at the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) across the healthy adult lifespan in an Italian population sample.

Methods

The MMSE and MoCA were administered to 407 Italian healthy native-speakers (165 males; age range 20–93 years; education range 4–25 years). A generalized Negative Binomial mixed model was run to profile MMSE and MoCA scores across 8 different age classes (≤ 30; 31–40; 41–50; 51–60; 61–70; 71–80; 81–85; ≥ 86) net of education and sex.

Results

MMSE and MoCA total scores declined with age (p < 0.001), with the MoCA proving to be “more difficult” than the MMSE (p < 0.001). The Age*Test interaction (p < 0.001) indicates that the MoCA proved to profile a sufficiently linear involutional trend in cognition with advancing age and to be able to detect poorer cognitive performances in individuals aged ≥ 71 years. By contrast, MMSE scores failed in capturing the expected age-related trajectory, reaching a plateau in the aforementioned age classes.

Discussion

The MoCA seems to be more sensitive than the MMSE in detecting age-related physiological decline of cognitive functioning across the healthy adult lifespan. The MoCA might be therefore more useful than the MMSE as a test for general cognitive screening aims.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-022-02174-0.

Telephone-based Frontal Assessment Battery (t-FAB): standardization for the Italian population and clinical usability in neurological diseases

Background

Despite the relevance of telephone-based cognitive screening tests in clinical practice and research, no specific test assessing executive functioning is available. The present study aimed at standardizing and providing evidence of clinical usability for the Italian telephone-based Frontal Assessment Battery (t-FAB).

Methods

The t-FAB (ranging 0–12), comprising two subtests, has two versions: one requiring motor responses (t-FAB-M) and the other verbal responses (t-FAB-V). Three hundred and forty-six Italian healthy adults (HPs; 143 males; age range = 18–96 years; education range = 4–23 years) and 40 participants with neurological diseases were recruited. To HPs, the t-FAB was administered along with a set of telephone-based tests: MMSE, verbal fluency (VF), backward digit span (BDS). The in-person version of the FAB was administered to both HPs and clinical groups. Factorial structure, construct validity, inter-rater and test–retest reliability, t-FAB-M vs. t-FAB-V equivalence and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores.

Results

In HPs, t-FAB measures yielded high inter-rater/test–retest reliability (ICC = .78–.94), were internally related (p ≤ .005) and underpinned by a single component, converging with the telephone-based MMSE, VF, BDS (p ≤ .0013). The two t-FAB versions were statistically equivalent in clinical groups (ps of both equivalence bounds < .001). Education predicted all t-FAB scores (p < .001), whereas age only the t-FAB-M score (p ≤ .004). t-FAB scores converge with the in-person FAB in HPs and clinical groups (r_s = .43–.78). Both t-FAB versions were accurate in discriminating HPs from the clinical cohort (AUC = .73-.76).

Discussion

The t-FAB is a normed, valid, reliable and clinically usable telephone-based cognitive screening test to adopt in both clinical and research practice.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-022-02155-3.

Italian telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination (Itel-MMSE): item-level psychometric properties

Background

The Italian telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination (Itel-MMSE), despite being psychometrically sound, has shown relevant ceiling effects, which may negatively impact the interpretation of its scores. In address to overcome such an issue, this study aimed at providing item-level insights on the Itel-MMSE through Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses.

Methods

Five-hundred and sixty-seven healthy Italian adults (227 males, 340 females; mean age: 51 ± 17 years, range 18–96; mean education: 13.31 ± 4.3 years). A two-parameter logistic IRT model was implemented to assess item discrimination and difficulty of the Itel-MMSE. Construct unidimensionality, statistical independence of items, and model and item fit were tested. Informativity levels were also assessed graphically.

Results

With respect to the Itel-MMSE total score, ceiling effects were found in 92.7% of participants. Unidimensionality was violated; both model and item fit were poor; a few items showed statistical dependence. Both the whole test and its items proved to be scarcely informative, especially for medium-to-high levels of ability, except for attention and spatial orientation subtests, which consistently yielded the highest discriminative capability.

Discussion

The Itel-MMSE appears to be most informative in low-performing healthy individuals. However, the present findings should not lead practitioners to aprioristically equate ceiling effects/low informativity to clinical uselessness. Items assessing attention and, to a lesser extent, spatial orientation appear to be the most informative.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-021-02041-4.

Diagnostic properties of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in Italian healthy adults

BACKGROUND

Sub-clinical cognitive efficiency deficits of a dysexecutive nature are moderately prevalent in healthy older adults and negatively affect their functional outcomes. To screen for such dysfunctions, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) provided promising evidence, although its diagnostic properties have not been tested to date. This study thus aimed at exploring the performance on the FAB of a large sample of Italian healthy adults and comparing it in individuals aged < 75 years vs. ≥ 75 years.

METHODS

Four hundred and seventy-five healthy adults (169 males, 306 females, age: 61.1 ± 15.1; education 11.7 ± 4.6) were administered the FAB and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios were computed through receiver-operating characteristics analyses by addressing an above- vs. below-cutoff performance on the MoCA as the state variable (as including measures of executive functioning).

RESULTS

The FAB overall showed good accuracy (AUC = 0.71-0.76), although higher for healthy older adults. A trend towards higher specificity (64.4-80.3%) than sensitivity (61.1-77.8%) was found, despite these metrics being comparable in healthy older adults. Negative predictive values (0.98-0.99) were systematically higher than positive predictive values (0.05-0.24), whereas consistent post-test probabilities were detected (positive likelihood ratios: 2.19-3.35; negative likelihood ratios: 0.28-0.48).

DISCUSSION

The FAB is an accurate test for the first-level assessment of dysexecutive-related global cognitive inefficiency in the general population, despite being moderately conservative as far as both its pre- and post-test features are concerned. Its diagnostic value is more informative for individuals aged ≥ 75 years.

The diagnostic value of the Italian version of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS)

Objectives: The diagnostic capabilities of specific cognitive screeners are clinically crucial for an early detection of frontotemporal features in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. This study aimed at providing diagnostic properties of the cognitive section of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) in Italian ALS patients.Methods: Eighty-nine consecutive Italian ALS patients were classified according to Strong et al. (2017) criteria with a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The Italian version of ECAS was also administered, and its accuracy, sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), negative and positive predictive values (PPV; NPV) and likelihood ratios (LR+; LR-) were computed against clinical diagnoses.Results: The ECAS and its subscales yielded moderate-to-high accuracy (AUC = .7-.87). High SP was overall found (81.8%-100%). The most sensitive measures were ALS-specific and Executive (73.9-78.3%) subscales, while the least were the ALS-non-specific subscales (8.7-17.4%). ECAS measures showed good PPVs (60%-100%) and NPVs (75.9%-91.5%). Acceptable LRs were found (LR+: 6.97-4.3; LR-: .29-.91), with total and ALS-specific measures yielding the best estimates.Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating the diagnostic value of the ECAS against a thorough neuropsychological assessment in Italy. ECAS-total and -ALS-specific scores are diagnostically sound as to both intrinsic and post-test features, whereas ALS-non-specific measures perform slightly worse.

Tele-neuropsychological assessment tools in Italy: a systematic review on psychometric properties and usability

Background

The current COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly catalysed a shift towards remote assessment in neuropsychological practice (tele-neuropsychology, t-NPs). Although the validity of t-NPs diagnostics is gaining recognition worldwide, little is known about its implementation in Italy. The present review by the Italian working group on tele-neuropsychology (TELA) aims at describing the availability, psychometric properties, and feasibility of t-NPs tools currently available in Italy.

Methods

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. This work was pre-registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42021239687). Observational studies reporting telephone-, videoconference- or web-based assessment of cognition/behaviour in Italian both healthy participants (HPs) and patients were included. Bias assessment was performed through ad hoc scales.

Results

Fourteen studies were included from an initial N = 895 (4 databases searched). Studies were subdivided into those focused on psychometric properties and those characterized by a predominant applied nature. The majority of studies addressed either adult/elderly HPs or neurological/internal patients. Multi-domain screening tools for cognition, behaviour, mood/anxiety and quality of life were the most represented. Findings regarding validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity and clinical usability were reported for cognitive screenings — the telephone- and videoconference-based Mini-Mental State Examination and the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status.

Discussion

Positive albeit preliminary evidence regarding psychometric properties and feasibility in both clinical and non-clinical populations of Italian t-NPs brief screening tools are herewith provided. Further studies exploring clinical usability of t-NPs and psychometric properties/feasibility of tests for the in-depth assessment of specific cognitive domains are necessary.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10072-021-05719-9.