A comparison of the CogState Schizophrenia Battery and the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Battery in assessing cognitive impairment in chronic schizophrenia

• Published in: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology 2009-10, Vol.31 (7), p.848-859
• Main Authors: Pietrzak, Robert H., Olver, James, Norman, Trevor, Piskulic, Danijela, Maruff, Paul, Snyder, Peter J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Attention - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cognition Disorders - therapy; Computerized; Executive function; Executive Function - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - methods; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychoses; Reproducibility of Results; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenic Psychology; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed; Verbal Learning - physiology
• ISSN: 1380-3395; 1744-411X
• DOI: 10.1080/13803390802592458

This study examined the criterion and construct validity of a brief computerized cognitive test battery (CogState Schizophrenia Battery) compared to a conventional cognitive test battery recommended by the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) consensus. The CogState and MATRICS batteries yielded comparable effect sizes in comparing patients with schizophrenia to healthy controls (Cohen's ds = −1.50 for both batteries). Moderate to large correlations were observed between CogState and MATRICS measures of processing speed, attention/vigilance, working memory, verbal and visual learning, reasoning/problem solving, and social cognition (rs = .56-.79). CogState and MATRICS composite scores also correlated strongly with scores on the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA; rs = .76 and .79, respectively) in patients with schizophrenia. Results of this study suggest that the CogState Schizophrenia Battery provides valid measurement of the cognitive domains nominated by the MATRICS consensus group as being important to consider in the context of pharmacological treatments for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.