Approaching a consensus cognitive battery for clinical trials in schizophrenia: the NIMH-MATRICS conference to select cognitive domains and test criteria.
To stimulate the development of new drugs for the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) established the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative. This article presents an overview of decisions from the first MATRICS consensus conference. The goals of the meeting were to 1) identify the cognitive domains that should be represented in a consensus cognitive battery and 2) prioritize key criteria for selection of tests for the battery. Seven cognitive domains were selected based on a review of the literature and input from experts: working memory, attention/vigilance, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, reasoning and problem solving, speed of processing, and social cognition. Based on discussions at this meeting, five criteria were considered essential for test selection: good test-retest reliability, high utility as a repeated measure, relationship to functional outcome, potential response to pharmacologic agents, and practicality/tolerability. The results from this meeting constitute the initial steps for reaching a consensus cognitive battery for clinical trials in schizophrenia.
Green
Michael F
MF
Neuropsychiatric Institute, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA. mgreen@ucla.edu
Nuechterlein
Keith H
KH
Gold
James M
JM
Barch
Deanna M
DM
Cohen
Jonathan
J
Essock
Susan
S
Fenton
Wayne S
WS
Frese
Fred
F
Goldberg
Terry E
TE
Heaton
Robert K
RK
Keefe
Richard S E
RS
Kern
Robert S
RS
Kraemer
Helena
H
Stover
Ellen
E
Weinberger
Daniel R
DR
Zalcman
Steven
S
Marder
Stephen R
SR
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003245:Consensus Statements as Topic; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D009315:National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) / Q000592:standards; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012107:Research Design; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States