Preliminary validation of a new neuropsychological battery on a smartphone for the assessment of cognitive deficits in obstructive sleep apnoea patients

Details

Supervisors

Edwards, Martin ; Lacroix, Emilie

Faculty

Faculté de psychologie, logopédie, sexologie et des sciences de la famille

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences psychologiques

Abstract

Review of the literature: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is a sleep disorder with a high prevalence in the population and with many medical consequences and cognitive deficits in vigilance, selective attention, divided attention, and inhibition. However, studies on cognitive impairments in these patients have certain limitations (Décary et al., 2000; Olaithe, Skinner et al., 2015). These cognitive domains should be continuously and ecologically monitored (Vaessen et al., 2015). For this purpose, we have created a neuropsychological battery on a smartphone. Our study aims at the preliminary validation of this battery, before its analysis on patients, by comparing in study 1 the battery on smartphone with an identical version on computer and in study 2 the battery on smartphone with the TAP battery of Zimmermann and Fimm (2012) and scales of sleepiness (ESS), depression and anxiety (HADS). Hypotheses: In Study 1 the four hypotheses are that response times will be higher for the battery on smartphone, response times for the divided attention test will be higher than for the selective attention test response times will increase between parts of the vigilance test and a correlation will be observed between smartphone and computer for all variables. In Study 2 the two hypotheses are that a correlation will be present between the two batteries for the different variables and a correlation will be present between the variables of our battery and the different scales. Methods: In Study 1, 30 subjects passed inhibition, selective attention, divided attention, and vigilance tests on both batteries. In Study 2, 79 subjects were tested for the same four domains on both batteries and completed the ESS and HADS questionnaires. Results: For the first step, all hypotheses have been validated. This confirms the possibility of using the smartphone for our battery. Moreover, the results show us that the relationships between the variables are as expected. For the second step, the first hypothesis is confirmed but not for all variables. The influence of the order of battery administration and the order of the tests may explain this partial confirmation. The second hypothesis is not confirmed and need further research. Discussion: the study confirms the possibility of using our battery on smartphone but also indicates the need to control the motivation of participants due to the use of the smartphone, and to continue the research for a proper comparison with the scales.