Assessing instrumental activities of daily living (iADL) with a game-based assessment for individuals with schizophrenia

The Potential of Automated Assessment of Cognitive Function Using Non-Neuroimaging Data: A Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: The growing incidence of cognitive impairment among older adults has a significant impact on individuals, family members, caregivers, and society. Current conventional cognitive assessment tools are faced with some limitations. Recent evidence suggests that automating cognitive assessment holds promise, potentially resulting in earlier diagnosis, timely intervention, improved patient outcomes, and higher chances of response to treatment. Despite the advantages of automated assessment and technological advancements, automated cognitive assessment has yet to gain widespread use, especially in low and lower middle-income countries. This review highlights the potential of automated cognitive assessment tools and presents an overview of existing tools. Methods: This review includes 87 studies carried out with non-neuroimaging data alongside their performance metrics. Results: The identified articles automated the cognitive assessment process and were grouped into five categories either based on the tools' design or the data analysis approach. These categories include game-based, digital versions of conventional tools, original computerized tests and batteries, virtual reality/wearable sensors/smart home technologies, and artificial intelligence-based (AI-based) tools. These categories are further explained, and evaluation of their strengths and limitations is discussed to strengthen their adoption in clinical practice. Conclusions: The comparative metrics of both conventional and automated approaches of assessment suggest that the automated approach is a strong alternative to the conventional approach. Additionally, the results of the review show that the use of automated assessment tools is more prominent in countries ranked as high-income and upper middle-income countries. This trend merits further social and economic studies to understand the impact of this global reality.

Utilizing Technology to Enhance the Ecological Validity of Cognitive and Functional Assessments in Schizophrenia: An Overview of the State-of-the-Art

Cognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia and a key determinant of functional outcome. Although conventional paper-and-pencil based cognitive assessments used in schizophrenia remained relatively static during most of the 20th century, this century has witnessed the emergence of innovative digital technologies that aim to enhance the ecological validity of performance-based assessments. This narrative review provides an overview of new technologies that show promise for enhancing the ecological validity of cognitive and functional assessments. We focus on 2 approaches that are particularly relevant for schizophrenia research: (1) digital functional capacity tasks, which use simulations to measure performance of important daily life activities (e.g., virtual shopping tasks), delivered both in-person and remotely, and (2) remote device-based assessments, which include self-administered cognitive tasks (e.g., processing speed test) or functionally-focused surveys regarding momentary activities and experiences (e.g., location, social context), as well as passive sensor-based metrics (e.g., actigraphy measures of activity), during daily life. For each approach, we describe the potential for enhancing ecological validity, provide examples of select measures that have been used in schizophrenia research, summarize available data on their feasibility and validity, and consider remaining challenges. Rapidly growing evidence indicates that digital technologies have the potential to enhance the ecological validity of cognitive and functional outcome assessments, and thereby advance research into the causes of, and treatments for, functional disability in schizophrenia.

Effects of cognitive stimulus therapy on middle-aged and elderly institutionalized patients with chronic schizophrenia with declined cognition

PURPOSE

This study investigates whether using group Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) effectively improves functioning among middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic schizophrenia and a below-normal cognitive range.

METHODS

The study included an experimental group (N = 24), which was divided into two sub-groups to receive group CST, and a control group (N = 24), who received treatment as usual (TAU). We assessed cognitive functions using the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). We evaluated the emotional status, psychotic symptoms, and quality of life using the Geriatric Depression Scale short-form 15 (GDS-15), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Dementia-Quality of Life (D-QoL) instrument. We performed all measures at three-time points: pre-CST, post-CST, and 3-month follow-up.

RESULTS

We found group CST can significantly improve cognitive performance, especially the ability to use new information, after group CST intervention. However, the experimental group did not maintain this effect at the 3-month follow-up.

RESULTS

We found group CST can significantly improve cognitive performance, especially the ability to use new information, after group CST intervention. However, the experimental group did not maintain this effect at the 3-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This study supports group CST can delay the degradation of some cognitive functions in long-term hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia for the duration of the intervention. This finding has important clinical implications for long-term institutionalized middle-aged and elderly chronic schizophrenic patients with a below-normal cognitive range in an aging society.

Qualitative Analysis of the Content Validity of the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) in Schizophrenia: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective

The US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) requires clinical trials targeting cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) to demonstrate the functional relevance of cognitive improvements by employing a functional co-primary measure. Although quantitative evidence supports the suitability of the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) for this purpose, FDA guidelines for qualification of clinical outcome assessments require evidence of content validity, defined as qualitative evidence that key stakeholders view the measure as relevant and important. To collect this important qualitative data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with outpatients with schizophrenia (n = 24), caregivers (n = 12), and professional peer support specialists (n = 12) to elicit their views about the definition and importance of functional independence, the importance of the functional domains assessed by the VRFCAT (meal planning, using transportation, handling money, shopping), and the relevance of the VRFCAT tasks to these domains. Qualitative thematic analyses revealed consistent themes across groups in defining functional independence, including performing instrumental self-care, financial, and social tasks; making decisions autonomously; and not depending on others to carry out daily activities. There were, however, notable differences in their views regarding the importance of and barriers to functional independence. All groups viewed the VRFCAT as assessing skill domains that are central to independent functioning and, with some minor differences, the VRFCAT tasks were viewed as relevant and meaningful examples of the domains. These qualitative results provide converging evidence that key stakeholders view the VRFCAT as a content-valid measure.

Virtual reality in the diagnostic and therapy for mental disorders: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality (VR) technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the diagnostics and treatment of mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the current evidence regarding the use of VR in the diagnostics and treatment of mental disorders.

DATA SOURCE

Systematic literature searches via PubMed (last literature update: 9^th of May 2022) were conducted for the following areas of psychopathology: Specific phobias, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, dementia disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and addiction disorders.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible, studies had to be published in English, to be peer-reviewed, to report original research data, to be VR-related, and to deal with one of the above-mentioned areas of psychopathology.

STUDY EVALUATION

For each study included, various study characteristics (including interventions and conditions, comparators, major outcomes and study designs) were retrieved and a risk of bias score was calculated based on predefined study quality criteria.

RESULTS

Across all areas of psychopathology, k = 9315 studies were inspected, of which k = 721 studies met the eligibility criteria. From these studies, 43.97% were considered assessment-related, 55.48% therapy-related, and 0.55% were mixed. The highest research activity was found for VR exposure therapy in anxiety disorders, PTSD and addiction disorders, where the most convincing evidence was found, as well as for cognitive trainings in dementia and social skill trainings in autism spectrum disorder.

CONCLUSION

While VR exposure therapy will likely find its way successively into regular patient care, there are also many other promising approaches, but most are not yet mature enough for clinical application.

REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO register CRD42020188436.

FUNDING

The review was funded by budgets from the University of Bonn. No third party funding was involved.

Measuring functional outcomes in schizophrenia in an increasingly digital world

With an unmet clinical need for effective interventions for cognitive and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, measures of functional status (often a co-primary endpoint) remain key clinical trial outcomes. This review aims to give an overview of the different types of functional assessments commonly used in clinical trials and research involving patients with schizophrenia and highlight pertinent challenges surrounding the use of these as reliable, sensitive, and specific assessments in intervention trials. We provide examples of commonly used functional measures and highlight emerging real-time digital assessment tools. Informant- and clinician-rated functional outcome measures and functional capacity assessments are valid, commonly used measures of functional status that try to overcome the need for often overly ambitious and insensitive ‘real world’ milestones. The wide range of scientific and practical challenges associated with these different tools leave room for the development of improved functional outcome measures for use in clinical trials. In particular, many existing measures fail to capture small, but meaningful, functional changes that may occur over the course of typically short intervention trials. Adding passive digital data collection and short active real-time digital assessments whilst patients go about their day offers the opportunity to build a more fine-grained picture of functional improvements that, if thoughtfully developed and carefully applied, could provide the sensitivity needed to accurately evaluate functional status in intervention studies, aiding the development of desperately needed treatments.

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Functional outcome measures are important for evaluating the efficacy of treatments.

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A variety of these are available, each with their own strengths and limitations.

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However, consensus on the optimal functional outcome measure(s) is lacking.

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Digital measures may enhance the assessment of associated functional constructs.