title: Computerized assessment of cognition in schizophrenia: promises and pitfalls of CANTAB.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Over the last decade, the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), which comprises visuo-spatial tasks, has been utilized in cognitive studies of schizophrenia. A clear approach concerning the usage of CANTAB for the appraisal of neurocognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is currently lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this paper, we have first reviewed the overall applications of CANTAB and then evaluated methodological strengths and weaknesses of CANTAB as a neurocognitive battery for schizophrenia. We carried out a systematic search and assessment of studies where CANTAB was utilized to measure cognitive function in schizophrenia. We have also attempted to quantify the available data and perform a meta-analysis, but this approach turned out to be still premature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CANTAB has enabled researchers to highlight significant deficits affecting broad cognitive domains in schizophrenia, such as working memory, decision-making, attention, executive functions and visual memory. So far, the most consistent deficit observed with CANTAB testing has been attentional set-shifting, suggestive of fronto-striatal dysfunctions. In addition, preliminary evidence points towards the potential use of CANTAB to identify cognitive predictors of psychosocial functioning, to describe the relationships between symptoms and cognition, and to measure the impact of pharmacological agents on cognitive functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CANTAB has been used successfully to highlight the range of visuo-spatial cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, producing similar results to those obtained with some traditional neuropsychological tests. Further studies validating the use of CANTAB following the standard set by Measurement And Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche Fernand-Seguin, Hôpital Louis-H Lafontaine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Noëlle
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Levaux
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Potvin
authors.forename: Amir Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sepehry
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sablier
authors.forename: Adrianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendrek
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stip
mesh_terms: D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012984:Software