Cognistat (The Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination)
Encyclopedia
Cognistat, formerly known as the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE), is a cognitive screening test that assesses five cognitive ability areas (language
, construction, memory
, calculations
and reasoning). The test was first presented in two articles that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine
in 1987 describing its design rationale and comparing it with the Mini-Mental State Examination
(MMSE) in a population of neurosurgical patients .
, psychiatric and pharmacologic state factors that may impact on and invalidate cognitive testing. Normative data exist for adolescents, and adults in three age groups: 60–64, 65–74 and 75–84). Cognistat has been translated into eight languages (Spanish, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Hebrew, Swedish and Norwegian). It is a widely used cognitive screening tool by North American neuropsychologists
. More than 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles describe Cognistat's use in patients with stroke
, dementia
, traumatic brain injury
, major psychiatric disorders and substance abuse
. It is used by internists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiatrists
and psychiatrists, as well as psychologists, nurses, speech pathologists and clinicians working in nursing homes.
and Apple Mac OS based operating systems. CAS provides cautions to the examiner, offers suggestions during testing and automatically generates a graphic profile of test results that can be compared with classic neurobehavioral disorders. The online test provides information related to the patient's medications, suggests specific cautions in interpreting test results and offers suggestions with regard to follow-up testing. CAS encourages the examiner to be mindful of the evolving neuro-medical context or micro-climate in which cognitive testing takes place. As such it allows the clinician to play an active role not only in assessment but also in designing treatment and rehabilitation strategies
.
Cognitive linguistics
In linguistics, cognitive linguistics refers to the branch of linguistics that interprets language in terms of the concepts, sometimes universal, sometimes specific to a particular tongue, which underlie its forms...
, construction, memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
, calculations
Mental calculation
Mental calculation comprises arithmetical calculations using only the human brain, with no help from calculators, computers, or pen and paper. People use mental calculation when computing tools are not available, when it is faster than other means of calculation , or in a competition context...
and reasoning). The test was first presented in two articles that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine
Annals of Internal Medicine
Annals of Internal Medicine is an academic medical journal published by the American College of Physicians . It publishes research articles and reviews in the area of internal medicine. Its current editor is Christine Laine...
in 1987 describing its design rationale and comparing it with the Mini-Mental State Examination
Mini-mental state examination
The mini–mental state examination or Folstein test is a brief 30-point questionnaire test that is used to screen for cognitive impairment. It is commonly used in medicine to screen for dementia...
(MMSE) in a population of neurosurgical patients .
The Test
Cognistat systematically surveys evolving neuro-medicalNeurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
, psychiatric and pharmacologic state factors that may impact on and invalidate cognitive testing. Normative data exist for adolescents, and adults in three age groups: 60–64, 65–74 and 75–84). Cognistat has been translated into eight languages (Spanish, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Hebrew, Swedish and Norwegian). It is a widely used cognitive screening tool by North American neuropsychologists
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and behaviors. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells in...
. More than 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles describe Cognistat's use in patients with stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
, traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
, major psychiatric disorders and substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
. It is used by internists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiatrists
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Physical medicine and rehabilitation , physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, is a branch of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. A physician having completed training in this field is referred to as a...
and psychiatrists, as well as psychologists, nurses, speech pathologists and clinicians working in nursing homes.
CAS (Cognistat Assessment System)
A web-based based version of Cognistat, CAS (The Cognistat Assessment System), appeared in 2010 . This on-line version of the test can be administered in Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Apple Mac OS based operating systems. CAS provides cautions to the examiner, offers suggestions during testing and automatically generates a graphic profile of test results that can be compared with classic neurobehavioral disorders. The online test provides information related to the patient's medications, suggests specific cautions in interpreting test results and offers suggestions with regard to follow-up testing. CAS encourages the examiner to be mindful of the evolving neuro-medical context or micro-climate in which cognitive testing takes place. As such it allows the clinician to play an active role not only in assessment but also in designing treatment and rehabilitation strategies
Rehabilitation (neuropsychology)
Rehabilitation of sensory and cognitive function typically involves methods for retraining neural pathways or training new neural pathways to regain or improve neurocognitive functioning that has been diminished by disease or traumatic injury....
.