Memory, language and complex thinking skills

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Memory, language and complex thinking skills in people with and without neurological conditions

• IRAS ID

  164231

• Contact name

  Smaragda Agathou

• Contact email

  randd@uclh.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  UCL

• Duration of Study in the UK

  3 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Neuropsychological assessment involves the administration of standardized paper-and-pencil and/or computerized tasks to illicit underlying cognitive processes so that one can infer various aspects of brain functioning. Clinical inferences are based on evaluating and comparing the performance of patients on various tasks with that of a neurologically-intact population (i.e. normative data). The accuracy of the psychometric properties of the neuropsychological assessment tools used is therefore, of paramount importance.
  Clinical impression within the department and preliminary analyses of available data has shown evidence that the normative data of some routinely used neuropsychological tests may be out-dated. That is, the normative data may no longer reflect contemporary performance of the neurologically-intact population. The use of obsolete norms can lead to inaccurate clinical decisions.
  The primary objective of this study is to improve currently used neuropsychological tests for assessing cognitive dysfunction in patients with neurological conditions. A secondary objective will be to better characterize how aspects of memory, language, and complex thinking skills such as planning and problem solving are affected by focal brain lesions or neurological conditions. Patients and neurologically-intact participants will be administered revised and/or novel versions of currently used neuropsychological tasks. Analyses of group differences on performance across different tasks will help us develop better neuropsychological assessment tools and norms.

• REC name

  London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/LO/0560

• Date of REC Opinion

  19 May 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion