The Impact of Arithmetic Ability on Cognitive Test Performance - v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An examination of the association between arithmetic ability and performance on the Dot Counting Test in a clinical forensic sample
IRAS ID
328455
Contact name
Matthew Charles
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
East London NHS Foundation Trust, Noclor Research Support Service
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Cognitive assessments (used to assess mental abilities like memory) are an important part of clinical assessments in some settings, e.g. memory clinics, where assessments of dementia are conducted. They help the clinicians decide if, for example, someone has dementia.
These are important questions, so the clinician needs a way to know that a patient approached cognitive assessment with enough effort and motivation that the scores they achieved accurately reflect their cognitive abilities. If they did, any diagnosis and later treatment will be correct. If not, the wrong diagnosis might be made, or treatment might be given when it should not have been, which can sometimes cause harm to patients.
This consideration of motivation is known as the assessment of performance validity. Performance validity tests (PVTs) are used to find out if someone’s scores are an accurate reflection of their ability. Some PVTs are ‘embedded’, derived from existing cognitive tests. Other PVTs are ‘standalone’ - purposely designed to determine performance validity.
Most PVTs in use are either embedded in, or designed to appear like, memory tests. Many widely used standalone PVTs also require significant time to administer, adding to the length of testing with patients. The Dot Counting Test (DCT) is different in that it is a standalone PVT that appears to be a test of processing speed, and it takes around just five minutes to complete.
However, observations during clinical practice suggest that the DCT may be more likely to be ‘failed’ by patients with poor maths skills. This study therefore aims to see whether maths ability is linked with DCT performance. The study will recruit a sample of participants from forensic settings because this group has been found in earlier research to fail PVTs at higher rates, and they also often have a wide range of exposure to education.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
23/NI/0139
Date of REC Opinion
17 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion