Cardiff online cognitive assessment in a national sample: cross-sectional web-based study

Background: Psychiatric disorders are associated with cognitive impairment. We have developed a web-based, 9-task cognitive battery to measure the core domains affected in people with psychiatric disorders. To date, this assessment has been used to collect data on a clinical sample of participants with psychiatric disorders. Objective: The aims of this study were (1) to establish a briefer version of the battery (called the Cardiff Online Cognitive Assessment [CONCA]) that can give a valid measure of cognitive ability (“g”) and (2) to collect normative data and demonstrate CONCA’s application in a health population sample. Methods: Based on 6 criteria and data from our previous study, we selected 5 out of the original 9 tasks to include in CONCA. These included 3 core tasks that were sufficient to derive a measure of “g” and 2 optional tasks. Participants from a web-based national cohort study (HealthWise Wales) were invited to complete CONCA. Completion rates, sample characteristics, performance distributions, and associations between cognitive performance and demographic characteristics and mental health measures were examined. Results: A total of 3679 participants completed at least one CONCA task, of which 3135 completed all 3 core CONCA tasks. Performance on CONCA was associated with age (B=–0.05, SE 0.002; P<.001), device (tablet computer: B=–0.26, SE 0.05; P<.001; smartphone: B=–0.46, SE 0.05; P<.001), education (degree: B=1.68, SE 0.14; P<.001), depression symptoms (B=–0.04, SE 0.01; P<.001), and anxiety symptoms (B=–0.04, SE 0.01; P<.001). Conclusions: CONCA provides a valid measure of “g,” which can be derived using as few as 3 tasks that take no more than 15 minutes. Performance on CONCA showed associations with demographic characteristics in the expected direction and was associated with current depression and anxiety symptoms. The effect of device on cognitive performance is an important consideration for research using web-based assessments