Feasibility and Validity of Online Cognitive Skills Assessment

Project title 
Feasibility and Validity of Online Cognitive Skills Assessment in Children Undergoing Presurgical Evaluation for Epilepsy Surgery

Supervisors names
Torsten Baldeweg
Aswin Chari

Background
Neuropsychological assessments, including assessments of cognition form a key part of evaluation of children with epilepsy, specifically as part of thepre- and post-surgical evaluation in children undergoing epilepsy surgery. Our data on long-term follow-up of these children is limited byneuropsychological resource limitations and we therefore do not fully understand the cognitive and developmental impact of epilepsy and epilepsysurgery. Specifically, we want to tailor treatments to optimise the development of these children and do not know the impact of factors such as timing of surgery, overall seizure burden and antiseizure medication on this overall development.

Recently, online assessments of cognitive skills have become popular. The Cognitron platform has assessed cognitive skills in hundreds of thousandsof individuals, ascertaining the cognitive impact of conditions like COVID. Remote smart phone & computer-based assessments have been performed on children as young as 5 and provides an opportunity to perform limited cognitive skills assessments in children with epilepsy.
 

Aims
In this study, we will assess cognitive skills using the Cognitron platform in children undergoing neuropsychological assessment as part of theirpresurgical evaluation for epilepsy surgery. We aim to assess whether such assessments are feasible and whether the assessment scores correlate tomore thorough and robust in-person neuropsychological assessments. This will help assess the feasibility and validity of the online assessments in this patient population.

Methods
Prospective study aiming to recruit 100 patients undergoing presurgical evaluation. The student would have the responsibility for study set-up,including finalising protocols, task selections with the Cognitron team and gaining ethical approval for the study. They would then recruit patients tothe study and be responsible for data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Timeline

• Study set-up: 9 months
• Recruitment: 1y 6 months
• Data analysis and write-up: 9 months

References

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21482948/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30968956/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37023554/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34903556/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35505938/

Contact
Aswin Chari aswin.chari.18@ucl.ac.uk