Reliability and usability of an internet-based computerized cognitive testing battery in community-dwelling older people

• Web-based cognitive testing was acceptable to healthy older people.
• Valid baseline tests suitable for future comparisons completed by all but 5%.
• Less than half participants completed testing at one year.
• Participants completing 1 year of testing showed stable and highly reliable results.
• Web-based computerized testing may be feasible for large scale cognitive screening.

Cognitive decline is an early feature of neurodegenerative conditions. CogState has developed a game-like computerized test battery with demonstrated acceptability, validity, reliability, stability, efficiency and sensitivity to detecting cognitive decline in older people under supervised conditions. This study aimed to evaluate an internet-based version of this test when used remotely and self-administered in a cohort of healthy, community-dwelling older adults aged 55 and above over a 12 month period at 1–3 monthly intervals. Test usability and reliability was examined in terms of acceptability, stability and reliability. Of 150 participants (age: 63.6 ± 5.6, range 55–83 years), 143 (95%) successfully completed a valid baseline test. Of these, 67% completed 3 month and 43% 12 months of testing. Technical difficulties were reported by 9% of participants. For those participants who completed 12 months tests, all tasks showed moderate to high stability and test–retest reliability.This brief computerized test battery was shown to have high acceptability for baseline self-administered testing and moderate to high stability for repeated assessments over 12 months. Attrition was high between baseline and 3 months. These data suggest that this tool may be useful for high frequency monitoring of cognitive function over 6–12 months, and deserves further evaluation.