Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41189112›Full record

ArticleArchives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists2026

Validation of a Web-Based Digit Symbol Substitution Task for Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults.

Dariella A Fernandez, Bonnie M Scott, Nusha Kheradbin, Liliana Guadagno, Sruthi Gade, Suzanne Schmitz, Jeffrey N Keller, Robin C Hilsabeck

Abstract readValidation Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Dariella A FernandezDepartment of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78201, USA.
Bonnie M ScottDepartment of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78201, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4868-6238
Nusha KheradbinDepartment of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78201, USA.
Liliana GuadagnoDepartment of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78201, USA.
Sruthi GadeDepartment of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78201, USA.
Suzanne SchmitzDepartment of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78201, USA.
Jeffrey N KellerInstitute of Dementia Research & Prevention, Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
Robin C HilsabeckDepartment of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX 78201, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8386-1508

Funding

National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health P30AG066546National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health R61AG069780Oskar Fischer Fund
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveGiven the global aging of society and projected increases in cognitive impairment, rapid and sensitive cognitive screening tests are needed to facilitate early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a web-based digit symbol substitution task, Speeded Matching (SM), including a second administration within-session to determine the added utility of practice effects, for potential use as a cognitive screening measure in older adult populations.

methodForty-seven older adults with MCI and 87 cognitively normal controls (NC) completed SM twice on an iPad, as well as a brief paper-and-pencil cognitive screening test, the Quick MCI (Qmci). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to investigate the classification accuracy of both administrations of the SM and the Qmci. The incremental validity of the second administration of SM was examined using logistic regression analysis.

resultsPatients with MCI performed significantly worse than their NC counterparts on all measures. NC participants also demonstrated significantly greater practice effects than those with MCI. ROC curve analyses indicated that a cutoff score of <24 for the first administration (AUC = 0.82) and < 27 for the second administration (AUC = 0.85) of SM had slightly better classification accuracy than the Qmci (AUC = 0.77), and a second administration of the SM task within-session significantly improved overall classification accuracy.

conclusionsFindings suggest that a rapid web-based digit symbol substitution test is a valid screening measure that performs as well as a traditional cognitive screening test.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionInternetNeuropsychological TestsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReproducibility of ResultsROC CurveCognitive screeningDementiaEarly detectionMild cognitive impairment

Identifiers

PMID41189112
PMCPMC13368826

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.