Phototest: Normative data for the Portuguese population

BackgroundThe Phototest is a brief cognitive test, which is easy to administer and has better diagnostic accuracy and effectiveness for cognitive impairment and dementia than traditional screening tests. This study aims to obtain the normative data of the Phototest for the Portuguese population and to determine the reliability and convergent validity of the test.MethodsThe study enrolled a convenience sample consisting of healthy volunteers (n = 130). The normal distribution of the results was tested. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictive variables for the Phototest.ResultsAge and educational level were identified as predictive variables by multiple regression analysis, and these accounted for 58% of the variance in the test results. Therefore, the two variables were included in the table with normative data of the Phototest. The Cronbach α of the test is 0.73. The results of the Phototest correlate positively with the results of other tests.ConclusionThe Phototest results are influenced by age and educational level. Our results point to a good reliability and concurrent validity with a more extensive test. The availability of the Phototest normative data for the Portuguese population based on age and educational level enables the use of a brief screening tool for cognitive functioning.