About the Exam (F.A.Q.) 

• Why does one administer a cognitive screening test?
• What training do I need to administer the test?
• What training do I need to interpret the test?
• Is there a computerized or web-based version of Cognistat?
• Is it possible to speak to a member of the Cognistat team either about Cognistat's psychometric properties and/or its use with different patient populations?
• Are student discounts available?

Why does one administer a cognitive screening test?
Cognitive assessment can be performed for many different reasons. The mental status examinations performed by psychiatrists and neurologists vary, but both address cognitive functioning. The nature of a patient’s cognitive functioning may be of great relevance to a broad range of other medical practitioners, nurses, rehabilitation professionals, and speech pathologists. Understanding patients’ specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses (with regard to level of consciousness, orientation, and attention as well as the five major areas of cognitive functioning: language, spatial skills, memory, arithmetic and judgment) is helpful in determining whether a patient is able to remember to take his medications, can communicate adequately in spoken or written terms, has visual spatial impairments that may contribute to problems driving or getting lost a familiar neighborhood. Arithmetical weaknesses and problems of practical judgement have obvious implications in a variety of settings, particularly the assessment of testamentary capacity.
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What training do I need to administer the test?
An individual with a high school education who is fluent in the English language and who refers to the Cognistat Manual is able to administer the test, score the results, and complete the graphic profile on the front page.
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What training do I need to interpret the test?
Interpretation of Cognistat results is done at different levels. At the simplest level one may describe an individual’s test performance as falling within the range of normal or in the mild, moderate or severe range of impairment on specific subtests. Scores must always be described with reference to the norms for a patient’s age range that are detailed in the Cognistat Manual. The significance of these results ultimately depends on a number of factors. Among these are a clear understanding of the patient’s mental state at the time of testing, which can be influenced by a broad range of factors. These factors are described in the Cognistat Manual section entitled, "Cautions in Interpretation." An important consideration is an individual’s baseline level of functioning overall and in each of the separate cognitive ability areas. The significance of test results with regard to specific pathologic entities or conditions (such as stroke, brain injury, dementia, ADHD, etc) will be determined best by an individual with either psychological or medical training.
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Is there a computerized or web-based version of Cognistat?
This is currently being developed! Click on Cognistat is becoming CAS for more information.
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Is it possible to speak to a member of the Cognistat team either about Cognistat's psychometric properties and/or its use with different patient populations?
Peer-reviewed articles describing Cognistat's psychometric properties and its use with a variety of medical and psychiatric populations are found in the manual and on Cognistat's online list of references.
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Are student discounts available?
No student discounts are offered.
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