Comprehensive assessment of neurocognitive function in schizophrenia - MATRICS consensus cognitive battery Czech version
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are considered to be core features of schizophrenia. These deficits are present before the onset of clinical symptoms and could be detected also in patients who are in clinically remitted state.
Cognitive worsening may have a significant influence on their psy-chosocial functioning and quality of live. The aim of treatment interventions is to improve the level of cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia, e.g. by cognitive remediation.
The current research strives to identify the most efficient factors of remediation. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) initiative called Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) was designed to stimulate the development of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB).
Even though MCBB quickly gained popularity throughout the world, the test material for the Czech adaptation of the MCBB has so far not been completely available. Our pilot study provides MATRICS Initiative officially approved adaptation of administration, scoring and interpretation of all tests in the battery.
Moreover, we performed a pilot study of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and were able to construct empirically derived Czech version (HVLT-R-Cz) based on a verbal frequency study. The test is for the first time available in Czech.
One of the principal postulates of the MCBB is the suitability of tests for repeated measurements. This was the reason for the construction of the HVLT-R-Cz parallel version.
MCBB in its original and concurrently adapted Czech version opens new horizons for the usage of the MCBB in the Czech Republic. MCBB Czech version can be used in schizophrenia research and also in clinical practice for standardized estimation of the cognitive deficits, its evolution over time and evaluation of the efficacy of cognitive remediation.