The Polish Academic Version of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB): Evaluation of Psychometric Properties.

Małgorzata Jędrasik-Styła,Anna Gruszka,Agnieszka Ciołkiewicz,Marek Jarema,Rafał Styła,Michael F Green,Dorota Parnowska,Mirella Denisiuk,Adam Wichniak,Magdalena Linke

doi:10.1007/s11126-015-9343-9

Abstract

Work and social functioning in schizophrenia are strongly influenced by cognitive impairment so improving cognition is a priority in the treatment of schizophrenia. Until recently the lack of a widely accepted index of cognitive change for use in schizophrenia was a major obstacle to the development of cognition enhancing treatments. The MATRICS (measurement and treatment research to improve cognition in schizophrenia) consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) was developed as a standard cognitive battery for use in clinical trials of cognition enhancing treatments for schizophrenia and has attracted worldwide interest. To analyze the reliability and validity of a translated and adapted Polish approved academic version of the MCCB. Sixty one patients were assessed at baseline and again after 30 days. The study protocol approximated the MATRICS psychometric and standardization study; the 10 tests that comprise the MCCB were administered to participants. Functioning and psychopathological symptoms were also assessed. Patients and test administrators also assessed the tolerability and practicality of all the cognitive tests. All tests in the battery were found to have high test-retest reliability. All the tests were rated as tolerable and practical by patients and administrators. However practice effects were generally higher in the Polish version of the MCCB than in the original version. Our analysis corroborates previous evidence that the MCCB represents a good tool for assessing cognitive deficits in research studies of schizophrenia also in non-English speaking countries.

Highlights

Cognitive disorders have been considered to be a central feature of schizophrenia [1, 2] and are recognized as a distinct feature of the illness [3, 4]
The study protocol approximated the MATRICS psychometric and standardization study; the 10 tests that comprise the MCCB were administered to participants
Immediate test–retest reliability was judged by the MATRICS Neurocognition Committee to be the feature of the test most relevant to use in clinical trials; it is important that the test reflects actual changes in cognitive functioning rather than measurement error, practice effects or other factors related to exposure to the test situation, test materials or administrator

Summary

Introduction

Cognitive disorders have been considered to be a central feature of schizophrenia [1, 2] and are recognized as a distinct feature of the illness [3, 4]. In view of the data indicating a strong connection between cognitive impairments and degree of functioning in schizophrenic patients, the presence and seriousness of cognitive symptoms may be considered a crucial factor in determining the progress of the disease [7, 8]. One concerns the use of different tools in different countries which makes comparison of results difficult. In this context the MATRICS (measurement and treatment research to improve cognition in schizophrenia) consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) assumes particular significance. Developed for the assessment of the effects of pharmacological treatments on cognitive performance in schizophrenia [10, 11], it is being used in countries

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Methods

Conclusion