Cognistat Cognitive Impairment Test Tool

Cognistat is a cognitive assessment and screening tool which rapidly measures neurocognitive functioning in adolescents, adults and seniors in three age groups: (60–64, 65–74 and 75–84).  More than 400 peer-reviewed scientific articles describe Cognistat's use in patients with stroke, dementia, traumatic brain injury, major psychiatric disorders and substance abuse.

The importance of assessing cognitive impairment levels

Cognitive impairment is an age-related cognitive decline that needs to be evaluated on a regular basis.  For this reason, baseline testing with routine follow-up is the ideal approach and Cognistat provides tools for testing and routine re-testing patients to compare and highlight any changes.

What a Cognistat cognitive impairment test assesses

Cognistat rapidly assesses neurocognitive functioning in 3 general areas: Orientation, Attention, Memory and 5 major ability areas: Language, Constructional Ability, Memory, Calculation Skills and Executive Skills

Cognistat’s 3 general cognitive impairment assessment areas

Orientation, Attention and Memory Registration represent areas that are often impaired in confusional states, delirium, aphasic conditions and psychotic states.  Impairments in one or more of these areas signal basic deficits in awareness and the ability to concentrate and cooperate with testing of the major ability areas.   Low scores in any of these three areas alert the clinician to the possibility that there is a reversible component to the patient’s cognitive disorder.

Cognistat's 5 major cognitive ability assessment areas

Cognistat measures the five basic areas of cognitive ability which are considered essential to sustaining the activities of daily living.  There are Language, Spatial Skills (i.e. Constructions), Memory, Calculations, and Reasoning/Executive Functioning.   Language has four separate subsections: Spontaneous Speech, Comprehension, Repetition and Naming.  Memory is evaluated by asking the patient to recall a series of learned words.  Calculations are simple math problems.  Reasoning/Executive Functioning has two subsections, Similarities and Judgment, which are evaluated separately.

Cognistat cognitive impairment test scores and interpretations

One of Cognistat’s key innovations is a test report, which displays the patient’s abilities as a graphic profile.  Scores are plotted on a profile that illustrates the overall pattern of abilities and disabilities. Cognistat also provides representative profiles from various types of cognitive impairment in actual clinical cases from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia.  The Cognistat profile allows easy comparison of follow-up testing versus baseline – demonstrating recovery or decline.