Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Normative data for the Italian population

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Neurological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To provide normative values for the Italian population for the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), a recent brief neuropsychological instrument for the assessment of cognition in patients with schizophrenia.

Participants

Data were collected from 204 healthy adult Italian subjects, stratified by gender, education and age.

Measurements and results

Tests included in the BACS are the following: list learning, digit sequencing, verbal fluency, token motor task, symbol-coding and Tower of London. Normative values were established using the Equivalent Scores method in order to enable comparison with other neuropsychological tasks commonly used in the assessment of the Italian population. Performance on the BACS was influenced by the commonest demographic variables such as age and education.

Conclusions

The availability of normative data for the Italian population will increase the usefulness of this test for both clinical and experimental purposes.

Sommario

Non esistono ad oggi batterie specifiche brevi e facilmente fruibili in lingua italiana per la valutazione del deficit cognitivo dei pazienti con schizofrenia. Lo scopo di questo studio è di tradurre e tarare sulla popolazione italiana la batteria BACS (Brief Assessement of Cognition in Schizophrenia), un breve strumento di screening creato per indagare in modo specifico gli ambiti cognitivi riconosciuti come quelli con le maggiori disfunzioni e correlati ai sintomi della schizofrenia (memoria verbale, velocità e coordinazione psico-motoria, attenzione, funzioni esecutive e fluenza verbale) e che ha mostrato nella validazione in lingua americana una buona correlazione con batterie neuropsicologiche standard e una buona affidabilità testretest. Il campione è costituito da 204 soggetti italiani stratificati per sesso, età e scolarità. I test inclusi nella BACS sono i seguenti: memoria di lista di parole, riordinamento di cifre, fluenza verbale, compito motorio dei gettoni, associazione simboli-numeri e Torre di Londra. I dati normativi sono stati calcolati con il metodo statistico dei Punteggi Equivalenti, con l’obiettivo di rendere possibile il confronto con altri test neuropsicologici usati comunemente in lingua italiana. Le prestazioni alla BACS sono risultate influenzate da variabili demografiche come età e scolarità, confermando i dati presenti in letteratura. La disponibilità di dati normativi per la popolazione italiana ha la potenzialità di aumentare l’utilità di questo test per scopi sia clinici che di ricerca.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Harvey PD, Bowie CR, Friedman JI (2001) Cognition in schizophrenia. Curr Psychiatry Rep 3:423–428

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Saykin AJ, Shtasel DL, Gur RE et al (1994) Neuropsychological deficits in neuroleptic naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 51:124–131

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Keefe RS, Poe M, Walker TM, Harvey PD (2006) The relationship of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) to functional capacity and real-world functional outcome. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 28:260–269

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Harvey PD, Green MF, Keefe RS, Velligan DI (2004) Cognitive functioning in schizophrenia: a consensus statement on its role in the definition and evaluation of effective treatments for the illness. J Clin Psychiatry 65:361–372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Green MF (1996) What are functional consequences of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia? Am J Psychiatry 153:321–330

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Green MF, Kern RS, Braff DL, Mintz J (2000) Neurocognitive deficits and functional outcome in schizophrenia: are we measuring the right stuff? Schizophr Bull 26:119–136

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. McGurk SR, Meltzer HY (2000) The role of cognition in vocational functioning in schizophrenia Schizophr Res 45:175–184

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Harvey PD, Keefe RS (2001) Studies of cognitive change in patients with schizophrenia following novel antipsychotic treatment. Am J Psychiatry 158:176–184

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR (1975) “Mini-mental state”: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res 12:189–198

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Levaux MN, Potvin S, Sepehry AA et al (2007) Computerized assessment of cognition in schizophrenia: promises and pitfalls of CANTAB. Eur Psychiatry 22:104–117

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cogtest plc (2002) Cogtest™: computerised cognitive battery for clinical trials. http://www.cogtest.com

  12. Wilk CM, Gold JM, Humber K et al (2004) Brief cognitive assessment in schizophrenia: normative data for the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Schizophr Res 70:175–186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Gold JM, Queern C, Iannone VN, Buchanan RW (1999) Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status as a screening test in schizophrenia, I: Sensitivity, reliability, and validity. Am J Psychiatry 156:1944–1950

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Keefe RS, Goldberg TE, Harvey PD et al (2004) The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia: reliability, sensitivity, and comparison with a standard neurocognitive battery. Schizophr Res 68:283–297

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Heinrichs RW, Zakzanis KK (1998) Neurocognitive deficit in schizophrenia: a quantitative review of the evidence. Neuropsychology 12:426–445

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Capitani E, Laiacona M (1997) Composite neuropsychological batteries and demographic correction: standardization based on equivalent scores, with a review of published data. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 19:795–809

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Laiacona M, Inzaghi MG, De Tanti G, Capitani E (2000) Wisconsin card sorting test: a new global score, with Italian norms, and its relationship with the Weigl sorting test. Neurol Sci 21:279–291

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Barbarotto R, Laiacona M, Frosio F et al (1998) A normative study on visual reaction times and two Stroop colour-word tests. Ital J Neurol Sci 19:161–170

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Caffarra P, Vezzadini G, Zonato F et al (2003) A normative study of a shorter version for Raven’s progressive matrices 1938. Neurol Sci 24:336–339

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. First MB, Spitzer RL, Gibbon M et al (1997) Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Clinical Version (SCID-I/CV). American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  21. Laudanna A, Thornton AM, Brown G et al (1995) Un corpus dell’italiano scritto contemporaneo dalla parte del ricevente. In: Bolasco S, Lebart L, Salem A (eds) III Giornate internazionali di Analisi Statistica dei Dati Testuali. Cisu, Rome, pp 103–109

  22. Gladsjo JA, Schuman CC, Evans JD et al (1999) Norms for letter and category fluency: demographic corrections for age, education, and ethnicity. Assessment 6:147–178

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Novelli G, Papagno C, Capitani E et al (1986) Tre test clinici di ricerca e produzione lessicale. Taratura su soggetti normali. Arch Psicol Neurol Psichiatria 47:407–416

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ermoli E, Anselmetti S, Bechi M et al (2005) Assessment of psychosis in schizophrenia: neuropsychological profile of chronic schizophrenia. Clin Neuropschiatry 2:243–249

    Google Scholar 

  25. Keefe RES, Eesley CE, Poe MP (2005) Defining a cognitive function decrement in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 57:688–691

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Goldberg TE, Ragland JD, Torrey EF et al (1990) Neuropsychological assessment of monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia. Arch General Psychiatry 47:1066–1072

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University Scientific Hospital, Via Stamira d’Ancona 20, 20127, Milan, Italy

    Simona Anselmetti, Sara Poletti, Elena Ermoli, Margherita Bechi, Stefano Cappa, Enrico Smeraldi & Roberto Cavallaro

  2. National Institute of Neuroscience, Padua, Italy

    Stefano Cappa & Enrico Smeraldi

  3. Clinical Neuroscience Centre, University of Hull, Hull, UK

    Annalena Venneri

  4. Department of Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

    Annalena Venneri

Authors
  1. Simona Anselmetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sara Poletti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elena Ermoli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Margherita Bechi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stefano Cappa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Annalena Venneri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Enrico Smeraldi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Roberto Cavallaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simona Anselmetti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anselmetti, S., Poletti, S., Ermoli, E. et al. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Normative data for the Italian population. Neurol Sci 29, 85–92 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-008-0866-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-008-0866-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation