Normative data for teleneuropsychological testing: findings from a Canadian adult cohort.

Abstract

Objective: Use of teleneuropsychological services has greatly increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to create normative data for a neuropsychological test battery of diverse cognitive domains in a Canadian population.

Method: A sample (n = 291) of adults aged 19 or older completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment (i.e. memory, executive function, etc.) via Zoom. Participants included those with a COVID-19 diagnosis (n = 146) and participants who had not contracted COVID-19 (n = 145). Data were stratified by age group as follows: 19-34, 35-49, 50-64, 65-79. Linear bivariate regression in the entire sample and groups stratified by age was used to test the relationship between age and test scores. Test scores were converted to z-scores using the mean and standard deviation for that group, with z-scores then transformed into normative scores for each test.

Results: Age was a significant predictor of scores for all tests except for FAS, HVLT-R (Retention, Recognition), and Digit Span (Forwards, Backwards). After raw test scores were regressed onto age for each group, age was no longer a significant predictor for most test scores, with exceptions for each age group.

Conclusions: This study created normative data for a diverse teleneuropsychological test battery in a Canadian population. Standard-ized scores generally fell within the average range, with the exception of TOPF and JLO scores, which may be explained by high educational attainment and virtual testing environment, respectively. The results suggest that the teleneuropsychological testing environment results in similar performance to in-person assessment.