A comparison of the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB) with “traditional” neuropsychological testing instruments

Abstract

The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is frequently used in research protocols and increasingly in clinical practice. Despite the frequency of its use, important aspects of its measurement validity have yet to be established in healthy adults. Two hundred and fifty-five individuals completed the CANTAB and traditional neuropsychological tests commonly used in clinical practice, including selected subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Animal Naming, Trail Making Tests A and B, the Stroop test, and the Green Story Recall test. Results showed that CANTAB subtests were modestly correlated with traditional subtests. Correlations between CANTAB subtests and traditional subtests were less consistent when age and education were controlled for. In conclusion, the CANTAB shows modest associations with traditional neuropsychological test measures.

Keywords:

• Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery
• Measurement validity
• Factor analysis

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar Award AG-NS-0441-08 for partial funding of this study, J. McEvoy, V. Dixon, K. Linney, K. Cornett, D. Swilling, L. Phillips, T. O'Connor-Pennuto, and R. Wilson for testing of subjects, and E. Heinzen for analysis of participants' prescription drug use.