Mobile versus traditional neuropsychological testing in Ecuadorian adolescents and young adults: A single- and burst-administration study in the Study of Secondary Exposures to Pesticides Among Children, Adolescents, and Adults (ESPINA) cohort.

Abstract

Objective: Mobile cognitive testing, particularly within an ecological momentary assessment paradigm, is increasingly used for cognitive assessments outside laboratory settings. However, the relationship between mobile cognitive tests and standardized lab-based neuropsychological testing among Spanish speakers remains understudied. This study investigated associations between performance on the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery and a suite of NeuroUX mobile tests among adolescents in rural Ecuador.

Method: The Study of Secondary Exposures to Pesticides among Children, Adolescents, and Adults participants completed Spanish versions of the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery and NeuroUX tests as a single session in the summer of 2022 (n = 488). NeuroUX tests were repeated across a 10-day burst 2.5-4 months later (n = 323).

Results: The mean age of participants was 20.3 years (SD = 1.8; range = 16-25 years), and 50.1% identified as female. Burst administration scores improved for one working memory test (Memory Matrix) but declined for a response inhibition test (Quick Tap 2). Positive associations were observed between mobile test performance and tablet-based neuropsychological scores across both testing formats, with an association identified between the Toolbox Fluid Cognitive Composite and NeuroUX Composite Score (β = 0.04, 95% confidence interval [0.03, 0.05]). Demographic trends indicated that younger, male, and more educated participants performed better on some tests on both testing platforms.

Conclusions: Mobile cognitive testing shows considerable promise for assessing cognition among Spanish-speaking Latin American adolescents and young adults, revealing significant associations with tablet-based cognitive assessments, and may be generalizable to other Latin American populations. These findings underscore the value of mobile cognitive tests as a viable alternative or complement to lab-based assessments, especially in culturally diverse and rural populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).