Cognitive clinical testing today
Cognitive clinical assessments are among some of the most complex assessments you can find within clinical trials. Their complexity has the potential to impact the quality of the data found. Any kind of detection will cause the use of technology to begin scoring and test administration. Examples of this include the use of advanced systems such as eCOA ecosystems as well as the help of clinical scientific guidance to help with the designing of workflows. Through this work, there has been an extensive improvement in data collection within clinical trials. Cognitive clinical assessment aims to have more accurate data and quicker delivery of medication to patients who require it.
Companies such as Clinical Ink have supported the studies between cognitive clinical assessments and technology. They have supported more than 500 eCOA projects and will continue to increase this amount. This article will discuss the complexities surrounding cognitive clinical assessment and how technology can help.
How Does Technology Help?
Dementia is one of the most widespread forms of neurodegenerative disorders. It is mainly associated with immense societal and personal repercussions, particularly in older people. It is expected that this unfortunate disorder will have tripled worldwide by 2050. This knowledge leads to an urgency to advance the effectiveness of research into therapy for this condition. In order to achieve this, digital technology is becoming paramount for quickly advancing the field and helping clinicians and researchers to achieve answers faster. There has been significant research into the digital technologies that can monitor and help general cognition. Some of the most popular today are smartwatches, smart homes, and smartphones; these can assist and assess the elderly who have the condition and help equally preclinical and prodromal patients. In various studies, it has been reported that there has been a positive link between digital measures with this cognitive practice. However, it must be remembered that these practices are still in the initial stages of development and need continued attention to become more functional for patients. More attention to technical studies of cognitive behavior means more efficient and accurate results.
Recent studies have also shown that using digital technology to monitor cognitive disorders such as dementia is necessary. However, further research is needed in other cognitive disorders for technological advances to succeed fully. Examples of these are validating the utility of the service, researching how cost-effective it will be in the long term, and how efficient the results are.
For those with cognitive impairment, receiving cognitive training is one of the most effective kinds of cognitive stimulation. This sort of protocol takes into account the tasks that are specific to the cognitive functions. Examples of these include language, memory, and attention. One positive aspect of cognitive training is its flexibility which can greatly impact the results for the patient.
What is included in cognitive clinical testing?
Cognitive clinical testing is made up of several components, and they are designed by talented neurologists. The patient must participate in and utilize this part of the trial in order to get accurate results. An issue that is found within cognitive clinical testing from a technological lens is trying to retain qualified and experienced raters. It is often the case that ‘raters’ who become involved in some of the online testing do not come from an academic background, meaning that they lack the knowledge needed for testing skills. Some of these reasons then make cognitive clinical testing slightly more challenging.
Electronic assessments are central for monitoring studies, and with the right kind of data analysis, they can go smoothly, which is important for cognitive clinical trialing. They allow more organization of the studies and are easier to work through than a paper-and-pencil system to help eliminate any errors that might arise.
Another great advantage to cognitive testing with technology is that the results you need will be accessible instantly. It leaves out any of the manual tasks that would have happened beforehand with older kinds of testing, leaving the patient with their results clearly stated.
